Trouble Sings Backup
by AmiraStarr
Summary: AU. After a traumatic accident leaves the musician Yamato shaken, he goes into hiding at his brothers home. While trying to recover from the event, Yamato meets Taichi and begins to experience happiness. But, danger is not quite ready to let go of Yamato.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon story or any of the trademarked Digimon characters. **

**This story takes place in an alternate universe in which Digimon is only a popular television show and the Digidestined have never met. You may see some familiar names pop up throughout the story. I tried to add a little nostalgia in with this new story idea. So please feel free to message me if you get confused throughout the course of the story. Also I will forewarn you that there could be some yaoi/yuri parings in the future. If you would prefer not to read about such couplings, I understand and ask that you either skim past them in the story or possibly find a different story of mine to read. Thank you for your time, and please enjoy the story. **

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"The car bomb that left Miyako Inoue in critical condition only two weeks ago, is still being investigated by local authorities. Due to the current investigation, the officers could offer little information about the supposed attackers. Mrs. Inoue's family has been very open with the media on their daughter's condition. At the last press conference by the family, Mrs. Inoue's father stated that while his daughter is still in a coma doctors are hopeful that she will make a full recovery. The whereabouts of Yamato Ishida, the agent's current musical star remains a mystery. The family and the police seem to be keeping the star's current location a secre-"

"Don't you think you have watched enough of that?"

Yamato turned his head from the now powered off television to his younger brother and the offending remote he held. The blonde offered his older brother a caring grin and tossed the remote on a free chair in the corner. "It doesn't help you know," Yamato stood up and stretched his long arms. "Ignoring the news doesn't erase what happened."

"No," Takeru smiled at his old grump of a brother and patted the boy on his shoulder, "But it also isn't something you should drown yourself in day after day, minute after minute."

Unsure if he completely agreed, Yamato offered a shrug and tried to put on a mildly happy face for his brother. "Yea, I guess you have a point TK"

"Sure I do," The boy gently slapped his brother on the shoulder and pointed to the kitchen, "Now I think someone in there would like to enjoy your company for a while."

Yamato smiled and offered no rebuttal to the demand of going to the kitchen. After living at his brother's house for over two weeks he had fallen into a boring, yet stable routine. Every morning he woke before the others and scanned the news, then he sat down for breakfast, he saw everyone in the house off for their day, lounged around playing his guitar or harmonica, greeted everyone when they came home, pushed a little dinner around on his plate, then tried to sleep till he gave up and went back to searching the news.

"Oji!" greeted a high childish voice as Yamato shuffled into the kitchen. "Sit by me Oji. Sit by me!"

"Hey Takato." The older male ruffled the small boy's goldish brown hair and offered him a smile. "What is on the menu today?"

"Digi-eggs!"

"Digi-eggs?" The man stared at the child's bowl of marshmallows, grain puffs, and milk.

"Yea, they are based off the Digimon TV show, Oji. You put 'em in a bowl and put milk on it, and they change to different colored eggs!"

Yamato watched the five-year-old stuff a spoonful of the cavity inducing goop into his mouth. He knew that marketers would try anything to move their product, but couldn't they have put the Digimon cartoon label on something more wholesome? At least something with less than twice an adults allotted amount of sodium. But then again, who enjoyed a boring cereal?

"Hey," Takato laughed as his uncle swiped one of the dry marshmallow pieces he had picked out of his bowl earlier. "No fair eating my favorite ones. Those are supposed to look like Gabumon eggs."

"I thought Guilmon was your favorite squirt?"

"Nope," He shoved another spoonful into his small mouth, "Guilmon is my second favorite, and Veemon is my absolute third favorite."

"Absolute, huh?"

"Teacher said it is the word of the day. Hey Oji,"

"Yea," Yamato popped another dry piece of cereal in his mouth.

"Where is dad? He always eats with me in the mornings. Even if it isn't a school day."

The kid had a point. Yamato glanced over his shoulder to the kitchen's entrance and tried to spot some sign of movement. It wasn't like Takeru to send him in and not follow suit. Usually his kid brother was following him around like a broken record asking about how he felt. What was different about today?

"I don't know Tak. But I'll go see if I can hurry him up. Try not to get to many cereal induced cavities while I'm gone."

The boy examined the living room first for a sign of Tk, but found it completely empty. His next stops included the backyard, den, Tk's bedroom, and the formal living room. He had somewhat forgotten how big his novelist brother's house really was. Anyone who looked at the outside would have had no idea it was anything special. But Tk's career had afforded him the opportunity to provide the best for his son, as well as his wife before she passed.

"Tk, are you anywhere in this house?" The man sighed and leaned on the stairwell in a bit of a huff.

"In the office Yamato."

The office was luckily just a few feet away, giving Yamato enough patience to continue his search. He entered the room expecting to find Tk wrapping up a letter or phone call, but was completely shocked to find the boy knee deep in paperwork. "Busy morning?"

"That doesn't even cover it." Tk laughed good-naturedly. "My agents and publishers are pushing for the next book and I am not in a position to let them down."

Yamato bent down and tried to sort some of the papers into a neat pile. He had always figured his brother was doing well enough that he could send his publishers scribbles and they would tell him it was amazing. Whether it was music like Yamato, or writing like Tk once you made it to the top you were free to try anything.

"Thanks for the help," Tk took Yamato's paper pile and placed it on his own stack. "By the way, what was it you came in here for?"

"Oh yea, the little guy was looking for you. His super sugar flakes need to be shared with a certain father."

Tk laughed and placed some of the papers on his cluttered desk. "Sounds like Takato alright. I think if I eat a quick bowl with him and race him to school, I will have enough time to start my revamp of chapter three before my agent comes over this afternoon."

"You want help?"

"No offense Yamato, but I don't know if you are up for writing a fantasy novel." Tk offered the boy a wide grin and ducked when his brother threw a play punch.

"No smart ass, I meant help with Takato. I can run him to school for you."

"Really? That would help me out a lot actually. And I am sure that Takato would be thrilled to have his uncle drive him to school."

"Anything to please the little people." Yamato smiled and turned to leave the room. "Oh, and thanks for letting me borrow your sports car."

"Wait… I never even gave you keys to my mini van. How did you?"

Yamato pulled out a pair of black keys on a single ring from his pocket, with a grin. "Sometimes magic just happens baby brother." And with that, he headed off to get dressed for what he assumed would be a simple car ride.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of the Digimon characters.

Here is the second installment of _Trouble Sings Backup_, I hope you enjoy this chapter. And a special thank you to my first reviewer, Psycho Weasel!

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At first sighting, Hiroko Konishi academy looked more like a prestigious university than a combined private primary, middle, and high school. The tall building stretched so far upward they appeared to gently kiss the cloudy sky. The beauty of the oversized campus left Yamato slightly stunned as he pulled into school's main parking lot.

"Some place…" Yamato mumbled under his breath. "Where is your classroom Takato? Takato?" As he unbuckled his seat belt and turned to the small back seat of the car, Yamato noticed his small passenger was nowhere to be seen. "Takato?" The boy stared franticly around the back then jumped out of the car, still calling out his nephew's name.

"Silly, Oji." The small child giggled and popped out from behind the back of the car. "You couldn't find me!"

Yamato sighed and leaned against the car as relief washed over him. "Yea… And if your father had found out I couldn't find you, he would probably make sure no one found me again."

The child laughed loudly and grabbed hold of Yamato's fingers, "Come on Oji, I wanna show you my class!"

Two flights of stairs and a few hallways later, Yamato was assured that his nephew had little sense of direction. He tried redirecting the child, but was only able to successfully guide them to the right path once the child spotted a few of his classmates. The pair followed the quickly moving children into the largest room on the second floor of the building.

Inside the room Yamato's hand was released from Takato's grip and he was left to stare in slight wonder at the beautiful decorations throughout the room. Multiple years had passed since the young man had been in a primary classroom, and he could honestly say his own classrooms had never been quite as bright as Takato's room. In each corner of the room, and along the walls were differently labeled stations, filled with activities for the kids to participate in. Takato was already knee deep in the toy blocks with a couple of his friends.

"I'll be back to pick you up later Takato. Be good, or your dad might get upset with the both of us." Yamato turned around to find a small brown-eyed woman standing behind him.

Startled, he stumbled back a step or two and cleared his throat before addressing her politely. "Um, hello. I am Ishida Yamato, I was just dropping off my nephew Takato Takaishi." The slender woman smiled brightly and seemed to find Yamato's introduction slightly humorous. "I guess I will be going. I hope I didn't interrupt your class time."

"Yamato-san, wait," The girl set the load of papers she held in her arms on the only adult sized desk in the room. "It seems so weird to finally meet you in person. I have heard quite a bit about you in this past year, but never knew I would get to meet you like this."

The wheels in the young man's head began to click and grind as he started to realize she must be some type of fan. His eyes scanned the room for a piece of easily accessible scratch paper and a pen so he could leave her with an autograph and then make his escape. He had begun to feel a little cramped in the room of hyperactive children. "It is nice to meet you too, uh…"

"Yagami Hikari"

"It is nice to meet you, Hikari-san… er, uh Sensei. If you have a piece of paper, I would be more than happy to give you an autograph, but then I am afraid I must leave."

"Oh," The girl smiled at him like a mother humoring a small child, "that is very nice of you, but I believe your brother already gave me an autographed copy of your CD."

"Wait, my brother gave you a what?" Yamato blinked in surprise and wondered why his brother would give such a gift to a teacher. It didn't seem like a normal teacher appreciation present by any means. It seemed more like something you would give to a friend or a girlfriend. "Oh!"

Hikari watched with slight amusement as the young man seemed to be trying to piece together the information she had presented him with. As far as she was aware, Takeru had agreed to explain to his brother that he was currently dating Takato's teacher. At least, TK had promised up and down that he would pass along the information to his brother.

"I'm sorry, I thought TK had mentioned the fact that we are seeing each other."

"No, now that I think about it…" Yamato scratched the back of his head, as memories of multiple phone calls and a few e-mails flooded his mind. "He did mention it, I must have forgotten. Sorry about that."

"That's alright." Hikari's eyes softened and her face filled with a look of concern Yamato knew well. "I know it must be very hectic for you after the incident. I am truly sorry about what happened to your agent."

"Yea." Yamato felt the emotions of that day come rushing back into his stomach as the teacher began to give him the same speech everyone else had already. Part of the boy knew that all of these words of sympathy were supposed to be comforting him, but a deeper more emotional side was growing tired of the constant bombardment of words. Why was he the one receiving all these statements? He wasn't the one who was blown up by a bomb. He wasn't the one who volunteered to fetch his car from the valet. But he was the one who let the poor girl be hurt by something that was meant for him.

"Thanks," He sighed, patted Hikari's shoulder, and felt surprised by how easily his acceptance speech came out of his mouth. "I will let her family know you are thinking about her. They will appreciate that."

"That's good." She smiled and patted the stack of papers on the large desk. "Now, while I get the kids in their seats, why don't you pass out these coloring pages."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't worry." The girl laughed sweetly and dumped the pages in Yamato's arms. "I promise not to give you any tasks that are to hard. At least for the first few days."

"Days? Wait, I don't think you underst-"

"Yes." Hikari barreled ahead with surprising happiness. "Takeru said he would be unable to help out the class for the first half of the semester, but he said you would be more than willing to fill in for a while."

"He said what now? A whole semester…"

"I'm sorry, didn't you know that already? He promised me he would tell you all about the program before you came this morning. I figured you were just joking earlier about leaving, so I never thought to ask if you knew."

_That little snot_, Yamato thought as he imagined Takeru losing the most epic game of uncle that had ever been played. All the while Yamato had tried to help out his baby brother, and now he finds out the boy has been planning this. He could have at least given Yamato a heads up, instead of sending him blindly into battle.

"If you are not okay with this, we can call in one of the replacement parents." Hikari tried to fix the situation by talking softly to the surprised boy. "But if you do plan to stay and volunteer, we should probably get you to the office for registration and parking permits. Once you have that, you can park in the teacher lot."

"I am already in the parking lot in front of the building." Yamato mumbled and tried to make some kind of mental plan of action. There was no way he could stay and baby-sit a bunch of five year olds. What did he know about kids? He had never even baby-sat for Takato by himself, and yet they expected him to keep twenty-two five year olds in line?

"Oh dear."

Breaking his mental calculations, Yamato looked up to find Hikari staring out the window. "What's going on?"

"Did you happen to drive Takeru's car today?" The boy nodded and Hikari gave him an apologetic look. "They seem to be getting ready to tow it away."

"What?" The boy rushed to the window and spotted the fancy car right away. Next to his brother's car was a skinny boy with Dark Blue hair and wide set glasses. The stick figure cupped his hands around his mouth and began shouting instructions to a tow truck inching closer and closer to the car. "Dang it!"

Before Hikari could advise the boy to stop by the office and get his parking permit, the young man had shot out the door mumbling a few words the teacher hoped her students did not pick up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or anything pertaining to the original Digimon.**

**Thank you again to my faithful revier Psycho Weasel!**

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"I had meant to tell you."

Yamato leaned against the sports car and listened to Takeru try and explain himself. The phone against his ear was uncomfortably hot, but it helped to keep him focused on the conversation instead of his growing need for a cigarette. It was a new habit, that while extremely unhealthy was amazingly calming for the stressed musician.

"Really? Where you planning on telling the school that I will not do this?"

"Yamato," Takeru started talking in a softer yet firm tone, "I know you may not be crazy about the idea, but I think it would be good for you. You need to get back into the world, and this could be the way to that path."

"You make it sound like I have turned into some kind of shut-in. It isn't that bad."

"You have been moping around my house for weeks. You barely eat and have possibly slept about twelve hours in total. Something has to change Yamato."

The older brother took a deep breath and fingered the lone cigarette in his pocket. As much as he hated to admit it, Takeru's description of his behavior these past few days was pretty accurate. That still didn't mean he wanted to babysit a rowdy group of kids.

"Look," Takeru's tone had changed to a more peaceful level, "I really am swamped by this new project. And I am sure it would mean a lot to Takato."

"What about safety? If one of the mothers, teachers, or even the kids let the media know where I am, this place will turn into a circus." Surely his brother couldn't find a way out of that piece of truth.

"That is one of the beautiful things about this idea." Takeru countered with ease, "The school has a history of dealing with the children of influential families. They forced me to sign countless privacy forms before I enrolled Takato."

Yamato was slightly stunned by how well his brother had thought out this plan. Had he really been so bad that Takeru had felt the need to work this hard on a secret plan? "Look, TK I admit the school's safety level is impressive but I still don't kno-"

"If you don't want to do it for yourself or me, then do it for your nephew. He is extremely excited about the idea of having his uncle go to school with him each day."

"TK," Yamato sighed, feeling a little surprised and slightly annoyed that his brother would use Takato as a motivation ploy. "I'll try, but I make no promises."

"Thank you, Yamato," Takeru's smile could practically be felt through the phone. "This means a lot to me and Takato."

"Yea," Yamato took another long breath and made a mental note to pick up more cigarettes after school. "I'll call you after school ends TK." The boy hung up he phone and looked up at the building that housed his new job, "If I survive this…"

By the time Yamato had made it back to the kindergarten classroom, the kids were busy coloring images of various animals. Takato looked up from his newly colored purple dinosaur to give his uncle a shy wave. The man returned the wave and felt a small bit of happiness well up inside him. At least his torture made the little guy happy.

"How did it go?" Hikari greeted the taller adult at her desk.

"Not to bad," Yamato flashed a new school id card, "So what do we do with them now?"

"First up, is a special circle time," The teacher explained before turning to her class, "All right class, I want you to quietly get up from your seats and go to the rug."

On cue, all the children dropped there crayons and headed over to the multi colored rug in the back of the room. Although the school year had only started a few weeks ago, the kids already seemed to understand that there teacher was the leader. It was the first time since Yamato had entered the class that not one of the students was chattering.

The teacher sat down on a marked space on the rug and patted the ground next to her as a signal for Yamato. The boy shrugged his shoulders and sat down on the soft piece of carpet. He watched with slight amusement as Takato started to point at him and whisper things to his friends.

"Takato-chan," Hikari smiled at the little boy and motioned for him to come forward, "Why don't you introduce our new classroom helper to your classmates?"

"Sure!" The child sprung up with youthful energy and proudly stood next to his uncle. "This is my Oji-san. His real name is Yamato and he plays music and can sing and can play instruments and… and… and…"

"Very good Takato." Hikari smiled and motioned to Yamato. "You can call him, Ishida-san."

"Greetings Ishida-san!" The children said happily in greeting as their teacher smiled approvingly at them.

"Uh, yea… Greetings class," Yamato felt like an awkward duck surrounded by the large amount of children. At least when he played with Takato, the boy hadn't been able to outnumber him. But here the odds were not in the adults favor.

"Yagami-sensai," A small girl with lopsided pigtails raised her hand in the front row. "Can Ishida-san be my lunch buddy today? I promise I'll show him around and play with him all day and everything!"

"That is nice of you to offer Suzie," Hikari grinned a little too happily for Yamato's taste. "But, I think we will just let our guest visit with everyo-"

"I'll be his partner!" Shouted another little girl in the back who fluttered her eyelids as she stared at Yamato.

"No way he wants to be partners with a girl!" shouted a boy sporting a military haircut.

"You don't know that Rio! You are just a kid!"

"So are you!" The boy high fived his male friends and they proceeded to giggle and point at the angry Suzie.

"Now, now kids." Hikari clapped her hands firmly to get their attention, "There is more than enough time for you all to spend with our guest."

Four hours later, Yamato was thoroughly convinced that there was absolutely no way there was enough of him to go around. Hikari had remained true to her word that she would only give him simple projects to work on. It was the kids who made each task a challenge. He was told to pass out paint sets, and the kids managed to fight over whom got the first set. The man tried to help kids color the images the right shade, and they managed to dump paint on both his pants and his head. By the time Hikari announced that they would be working with paste and scissors after lunch, the man was ready to make out his will.

"Yamato," Hikari pulled the stained boy aside and gave him a sympathetic look. "I have to tell you that you have been a real trooper. Why don't you take a break in the teachers lounge for a little bit? I can handle lunch today."

"Thank you so much." Yamato placed a hand on Hikari's shoulder and looked her squarely in the eyes, "I promise to nominate you for the peace prize."

Luckily for the tired young musician, the main teacher's lounge was only a stairwell away. The large space filled with only a few vending machines, some couches, and a table or two was like a desert oasis for Yamato. Mainly, he had to admit that he was mostly glad this room was childfree. There would be no one yelling his name or tugging on his clothes.

The boy grabbed a magazine lying on one of the tables and positioned himself in a metal chair. With his feet propped up on the table and the magazine placed strategically over his eyes to block the windows' sunlight, the boy tipped his chair back and hoped to have a moment to rest.

"Excuse me,"

A voice interrupted Yamato's peaceful slumber, to which the boy groaned but did not move.

"I don't believe I have seen you around here before."

"I'm new," The singer mumbled and wondered if he should have just remained silent.

"Are you a new teacher?" The voice sounded suspicious, and was soon joined by a small tap on the shoulder.

The boy in the chair had already started to drift away from the conversation when he was tapped. Yamato's eyes opened slowly and he shifted in his chair to try and get a glimpse of the determined interviewer. But as his weight shifted, the chair shifted in the opposite direction and began to tip completely over.

Somewhere between preparing himself for hitting the floor and wishing he had slept on one of the couches instead of a chair, the boy felt himself being caught by a warm arm. As the shock of not being impaled by the floor began to wear off, his savior slowly pulled his magazine blindfold off to allow Yamato his first glance at his spikey brown haired savior.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

**Here is another installment in Trouble Sings Backup. I would like to thank all my reviewers. Your reviews make writing stories even more fun!**

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"Are you okay?"

The voice broke through Yamato's stare and forced the singer to make eye contact with his saver. Above him stood a tall male with deep brown eyes that resembled some sort of amber color. Coating the boy's head was a shock of dark brown hair pushed back by a pair of swim goggles. It seemed like an extremely strange combo, but somehow the man pulled it off.

"If you are going to continue to ignore my questions, can we at least do it standing? My arms are starting to fall asleep."

Blushing, the boy practically leapt to his feet and pretended to brush off dirt from his clothes. Had he been staring at the other man for a long time? Silently, he prayed that his new associate was merely impatient and not correct about the absurdly long time of the stare down.

"Sorry about that," Yamato regained his composure and stood face to face with the boy.

"No prob," The other male pretended to rub his arm in a joking manner, "I think I'll get feeling back to my arms anytime now."

Unsure how to react to the man's joke, the singer tried to focus on a more productive conversation. "I'm Ishida Yamato. I am working with the kindergarten teacher for a few weeks."

"Wait, I knew you looked familiar! You're Tk's brother aren't you?"

"How do you know my brother?" It was not rare to recognize Yamato, due to his multiple CDs and television appearances, but TK barely even put an author picture with his novels. That was one of the great reasons to hide out with his baby brother; no one knew who he was or who he was related to.

"I'm Hikari's brother." The boy smiled and patted Yamato on the shoulder in a friendly manner. "The name's Taichi."

"I didn't realize she had a brother,"

"Huh, can't say I have the same problem. Tk always talks about you. And Takato finishes whatever he misses."

_Yup_, the blonde thought with a small bit of embarrassment and happiness, _that is my family_.

"You know I never thought I'd see you here at the school." The brown haired man walked over to the vending machine and pulled out two American style sodas. "Then again I would have imagined you at the school, far before I would have imagined you with purple skin."

"Huh," Yamato took one of the sodas Taichi offered and stared down at his purple arms, "It was painting time in the class. We were lucky enough to have at least some of the paint hit the paper. The rest is somewhere on my scalp and clothes."

Taichi laughed, glad to see Tk's brother wasn't completely void of humor. From the way Yamato had been described to him, Taichi had expected a much more vibrant person instead of this awkwardly quiet man. Of course most of the descriptions he had received had come from a five year old who worshiped the ground his uncle walked on.

"That is the kindergarteners for you," Taichi smiled and tipped his glass towards his friend, "But if you have survived this long that must mean the tribe likes you."

"Yea, maybe a little too much."

"Don't worry, you get used to them. Hikari's group is an especially fun class. They are always ready to try any game I through at them."

"Game?"

"Oh I forgot to tell you, I'm the primary P.E. teacher and the soccer coach. You haven't gotten to see much of the campus have you?"

"No, I got to meet the principal this morning when he tried to tow away my car… but other then that I haven't gotten to see anything or anyone."

Taichi tossed his empty can into the recycle bin and offered his new friend a wide smile, "Well then, how about I show you around?" He grabbed Yamato's hand and began leading the blonde to the door. "We can get through the whole place before lunch is even over."

Whether it was the surprise of the action or Taichi's strangely warm hand, Yamato wasn't sure, but either way he couldn't find an objection to the other man's tour. Instead he focused his attention on trying to form a mental map of the school. Ever since the incident he had found himself being very concerned with marking exits. The bigger the building the more effort he found himself placing in that task.

"This is the computer lab for the primary grades," Taichi pulled the stumbling Yamato behind him with great ease. "That is our resident technology expert fixing the one in the back. Yo, Koushirou this is Yamato. He is working with the kindergarten class." The red head raised a hand in their direction, but was barely able to get in a word of welcome before Tai pulled his captured audience down the hall.

By the time Taichi had rounded off his tour by arriving at school's track field, Yamato was ready to beg for another metal chair to rest on. So far he had caught glimpses of Jou Kido the schools resident doctor, a very bubbly Mimi Tachikawa who seemed very excited to use him as a school play helper, an apologetic Ken Ichijouji stationed behind his principal's desk, and a host of other people whose names did not have time to register in the sleep deprived boy's brain.

"Can we rest for a second?" Yamato huffed and puffed slightly as his lungs reminded him that he should lay off the cigarettes.

"Tired already?" Taichi smiled that goofy grin of his and seemed disappointed they could not continue to race around the campus. "I guess it is a lot to get in when you only have about an hour."

"Yea," The blonde leaned against the school wall and took slow, deep breaths. His hand still felt warm and somewhat tingly from where Tai had grasped it so tightly. Although he hadn't been particularly found of the idea at first, it was hard to remember the fast paced tour with a negative thought now. There was something slightly infectious about the way the boy wandered the halls in ordered chaos spouting off random facts. It had been a long time since Yamato experienced such childlike freedom.

"By the way, how do I get back to the classroom? Lunch is over by now right?"

"Ah, that is the beauty of the plan." Tai held up three fingers and began a slow count down. "Three, two, on-"

"Oji!" Takato called to his uncle happily as the kindergarten class filled out to the track field in two straight lines.

"I'm glad to see you found the field." Hikari smiled at her new assistant then turned to her class, "All right boys and girls, I want you to line up by the track field so we can begin our exercises."

As the kids rushed over to the track, Taichi offered Yamato a friendly wink and darted out to greet his class. The blonde boy stared after his slightly hyperactive acquaintance and found himself growing more and more fascinated with this Taichi. It was as if someone had fed a six-year-old growth hormones and let him out on the world.

"He isn't always so spastic,"

"Really?" Yamato laughed softly as Hikari joined him on the sidelines.

"Sometimes he is just mildly hyperactive."

By the time Taichi had worn out the kindergarteners with relay race challenges, the day was almost complete. Hikari and Yamato herded the kids back to the classroom, worked on a few more art projects, read a giant book, and cleaned some parts of the room. When the bell rang to dismiss the school, the children all stood and offered their teacher a respectful bow and chanted a unified goodbye.

With the freedom of the outside world beckoning, Yamato wasted no time in ushering his nephew into the car and rushing off to the nearest convince store. Shopping proved to be difficult, but not impossible, with Yamato slinking around the store with his head lowered. The last thing he wanted was to be spotted and asked millions of questions. Luckily though the clerk seemed uninterested, and didn't even care to wish them a good day as Yamato and Takato walked out with cigarettes and an ice cream bar for Takato.

Once the duo arrived home, the now sticky Takato raced off to find his father and Yamato slinked to the back porch. He had the first cigarette in his mouth by the time his feet hit the slick concrete. The first puff felt like a great release for his knotted subconscious. He leaned back into a lawn chair and felt Takato's dog curl up by his feet.

"How that dog can stand the smell of those things is beyond me."

"Not now Takeru," Yamato mumbled without bothering to open his eyes.

"You know those are what gave dad his heart attack."

Yamato opened one eye and stared up at his brother with a challenging look, "Are you sure it wasn't having to deal with two kids? Then again he had nine months to prepare for those."

"How long will you be milking this?" Tk crossed his arms but kept a playful mood in the room.

"How much you got?"

"Tonight, a dinner invite."

The change in subject perked Yamato's interest. He sat up straight, much to the dog's displeasure and stared curiously at his brother. For some reason he feared this was going to be more than just Takeru running out to see Hikari. "Really now?"

"Hikari wanted to make sure you were getting along okay after your first day. So I suggested she come over and meet you in person-"

"We just spent all day together, Takeru. Didn't that give her a good idea of how I am?"

"Look Yamato," Takeru sat on one of the porch chairs and gave a small cough as his brother blew smoke away from the two of them. "I wasn't going to mention it, but I am thinking about asking Hikari to marry me."

This piece of news surprised the older male, and forced him to snuff out his cigarette in the lopsided ashtray on the table. He leaned forward and stared down his baby brother. The last time Takeru had gotten married they had all been young and new to the romance game. And although Yamato's own engagement had ended badly, he had always been proud of his baby brother for finding a great girl, having a great child, and sticking through his marriage even as his wife's health deteriorated.

"You really ready to take that step again?"

"I don't know," Tk admitted and gave a nervous chuckle, "I do know that I love Kari, Takato seems to adore her, and I don't think I could be as happy as I am now without her in my life."

"Then go for it," Yamato smiled and ruffled his brother's hair, "It sounds like you have a good match."

"Yea, but I don't know if she is as ready as I am. I mean she has hardly met anyone in my family and we have been going out for almost two years."

"Didn't she meet dad last New Years?"

"You know dad, one giant fireworks explosion in downtown and he was stuck at work all night."

"So, this whole dinner thing is to get me to meet her?"

"I want you to get to know her family too. So I invited Kari's brother to come along as well. Even I have only seen him a few times."

Taichi? Yamato felt a strange warmth spread over his hand as he recalled his fast paced tour earlier that day. There hadn't been much time for him to really get to know the brunette. Even when he was alone with Kari in the classroom the kids had kept them to busy to chat. But, this night should be about helping Tk. Even if the little turd had been willing to leave his brother stranded in the land of the tiny.

"All right," He stood and stretched out his muscles, "I'll play meet the fiancé and her brother."

"Thank you," Tk smiled widely and then offered a slightly nervous, "But uh, please don't mention that you know I want to ask. I haven't even gotten to pick out a ring or plan the right time… or…"

"Oh Kari," Yamato imitated his brother's voice and wandered towards the door, "I just love you so very much and want to be your shmuggle bear for the rest of eternity!" Tk chucked a chair cushion at his brother's head as the young man ducked into the house. "Missed me shmuggle bear!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. **

**Thank you to all my reviewers and readers! :) You guys rock!**

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By that evening, the male members of the family, who were over drinking age, had gotten showered and dressed for a casual dinner party. The smallest member of the tribe was decked out in a large scowl and a pair of blue Digimon pajamas. Under his skinny arms were various stuffed Digimon figures, which looked mighty tempting to the German Shepherd puppy sitting next to the child.

"I wanna stay up!" Whined the small child in a far to high-pitched tone.

"You have school tomorrow Takato." Takeru was slowly losing patience with the child who had settled his bedtime strike in the middle of the kitchen.

"So does Oji!"

"Buddy, I would trade you spots in a heart beat." Yamato popped a grape into his mouth and tried to avoid the dirty look Takeru threw him.

"This isn't going to be very fun. It will just be a bunch of adults talking about boring stuff and eating vegetables."

Takato tilted his head as he tried to think of a rebuttal to his father's explanation. Even if the event was going to be boring, it was still something he was not invited to attend. That just would not do. "Are you and Oji gonna do gross stuff like kiss? And does that mean that Oji has to kiss Tai if you're gonna kiss my teacher?"

Yamato choked on a piece of fruit as the innocent curiosity came tumbling out of his nephew's mouth. The idea seemed rather far-fetched to the man, but slightly interesting if he was being completely honest with himself. Although he had never kissed a man, he had lived in places where people swung through the complete spectrum of possible dates. But of course, he was rarely truly honest with himself.

"No," Takeru was less fazed by the question and picked his son up from the floor. "Oji won't be kissing anybody. All we are going to do is talk about boring things and eat… spinach."

The child's face turned to a look of complete and utter horror. Suddenly the party and the rest of the kitchen seemed rather unsatisfying. Instead, he settled for leaning into his father's chest and squeezing his play toys tightly. "Maybe, I should go to bed before any of the yucky food comes out…"

"That sounds like a good plan," Takeru smiled and pet his son's hair. "And since you are being a big boy about this, I'll read you two bedtime stories."

Yamato smiled as the pair headed off to the stairwell. If there was one thing that Takeru excelled at, it would be being a dad. The boy had learned to rely on his own instincts and take care of a baby while tending to his cancer-ridden wife until her death. He had never once lost himself in self-pity or denial, and that was what Yamato envied most about his baby brother.

A loud and cheerful tone filtered through the house and reminded Yamato that he was suppose to be getting ready for company. The boy shuffled to the front door unsure if this meeting was as good an idea as it had seemed a few hours ago. Maybe it wasn't to late to go upstairs and camp out with Takato. But as he opened the door to see a kindly smiling Hikari and a fully loaded goofy grin Taichi, Yamato managed to convince himself that this was worth trying to enjoy.

"So that is what you look like without paint," Taichi managed to mutter before his sister jabbed him with her elbow.

"I hope we are not to early," Kari held out a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

"No, no, you guys are fine." Yamato took the flowers and ushered the group inside. "Takeru is putting Takato to bed and dinner is just about ready. Please, make yourself comfy, and I will go get a vase for these."

Taichi and Kari sat down on the living room couch and stared at each other in silence. The young girl had a feeling she knew what the boy wanted to ask, but prayed that he didn't. Tai had been the first of the siblings to hear about the car bomb. He had called Kari to warn her that she should probably check on Takeru to see if his brother was all right. Tk had been easily able to calm their fears, by explaining that Yamato had only been lightly scratched and burned by the shrapnel. But the question of what effect the incident had on the boy and his family still remained. Even Tk had been strangely silent on the matter.

"Takeru made some appetizers for you guys," Yamato broke the silence and placed the bowl of fruit in the middle of the table.

"Thank you," Kari smiled at the blonde and took a piece of cantaloupe from the tray. "So have you gotten to see much of the town? I figured it would be a little smaller then you're used to after touring throughout the country."

"It's really not that different." The blonde shrugged and leaned back into one of the armchairs. Sure, the statement was a lie. But a lie always seemed to make things go more smoothly these days.

"Really?" Tai seemed skeptical as he stole a piece of fruit from the edge of the plate. "Isn't it strange not to have crowds of people follow you and hound you for autographs?"

"The kindergartener's keep the groupie feeling in tact."

"They do seem enamored with you," Hikari agreed with a small giggle.

As Takeru came down the stairs, he paused to catch a snippet of the group's conversation. No one seemed to be angry or depressed yet, which gave him a slight boost of confidence. It wasn't that he feared his brother would do anything horrible; it was just that he didn't quite feel like he had his real brother with him. Ever since the accident, he found himself dealing with a slightly unpredictable force of nature that could fall to pieces or build skyscrapers at the drop of a hat.

"Sorry I ran late," Takeru smiled as he entered the room and stopped to give his girlfriend a small peck on the lips. "I'm sure Yamato kept you guys company though."

"It's nice to see you again." Kari grasped the boy's hand and offered him a smile. "And yes, your brother is a great host."

"All I did was put out some snacks and lead them to the living room," Yamato was beginning to feel that this was going to turn into a long night of childlike praises. "I'm going to get a glass of wine. Anyone else want anything?"

"I could go for a water," Taichi stood up, planning to give his sister a moment alone with her boy, "I'll help you bring some drinks for the group."

As the two men disappeared beyond the kitchen walls, Kari gently pulled her boyfriend onto the couch. Takeru wrapped his arm around her shoulders and let his head rest upon Kari's own. "So," he smiled and let his finger's gently message her shoulder, "How was your day?"

"You mean how was Yamato?"

"I figured he couldn't have blown anything or anyone up or you would have called me. But between you and I, I am rather interested on how your day went."

Hikari laughed and patted her boyfriend's face gently. This all seemed so Takeru. The boy couldn't help but care and worry about others and how they were feeling. Of course that was one of the things she liked about her boyfriend the most. "My day, and from what I could gauge Yamato's day too, went pretty well. Do you think this is going to help him Takeru?"

"I don't know Kari, but I couldn't just sit back and watch him stay in that funk."

"Did you suggest the therapist again?" Kari ventured the question carefully; unsure if this was really her place to question Yamato's progress. "Maybe he would do good in a place where he could talk to a trained professional?"

A sigh escaped Takeru's lips and he leaned his head back on the wall behind the couch. "I did try," he admitted, "But it seems each time I ask him, he gives me some excuse. Which didn't seem so bad when he actually gave good reasons."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it sounds a lot more believable when he says he needs to conduct a phone interview with the police, versus last week when he told me he didn't want to have to leave the dog alone."

"He used the dog?"

"Yup," Tk shook his head, "I know Yama isn't a fan of discussing his emotions, but he normally at least let's me in."

"Just give him some time. I bet this is giving him quite a shock."

A few feet away, Yamato was busily trying to uncork a wine bottle in the kitchen. He clenched the bottle under one arm and used his other hand to try and yank the cork out of the bottle. The item proved to be wedged tightly in the glass bottle, so Yamato grit his teeth and tried to pull harder.

"Here," Taichi stopped pouring ice water into glasses and walked behind Yamato. He placed his hands on top of the musician's hand and the neck of the wine bottle. "You have to twist and pull, to get it out."

As Taichi directed his hands, Yamato felt a warmth begin to slowly flush his cheeks. It had been a long time since anyone had held him in some form of closeness. Even Takeru barely offered his brother hugs for fear of upsetting him. Who knew the simple feeling of being touched by another person could be so missed?

Slowly, the wine bottle was tilted in Yamato's hand, until the cork slipped out with a bold pop. The noise startled the blonde causing him to stiffen instantaneously and push away from Taichi. The brunette dropped the bottle to the floor and watched in surprise as Yama leaned against the fridge trying to catch his breath.

"Are you okay?" Tai asked the question slowly, not bothering to break their eye contact to pick up the bottle remains.

"I'm fine… I'm fine." Yamato took a few slow breaths and tried to stop his racing heart. "I never expected it was going to make a noise."

"Well," Taichi bent down and picked up the main part of the bottle. "Did you know it is sparkling wine? That and champagne are always good for a pop."

"Damn, must have picked up the wrong one." He tried to push his sudden fear away and bent down to help pick up parts of the bottle.

The two worked in silence for a while, but Taichi was having trouble keeping his mouth shut. It was obvious that Yamato needed to release some of his stress, but the boy seemed far too uptight to let himself go. Maybe he just needed, the right opening line?

"You know, it is okay if you are still a little on edge." Yamato avoided Tai's gaze as he continued to pick up glass pieces. "The car bomb was probably pretty scary."

"Stop it."

Tai looked up from the bottle pieces to find Yamato staring deeply into his eyes. The normally ocean blue orbs were now coated in a dark haze that looked almost otherworldly. Unsure what he should do next, the boy's brain ploughed ahead with little thought.

"I just mean that I understand how much things like that can shake you."

"Stop."

"But it might help if you talk about it,"

Yamato stood up and watched with anger as Taichi stood in turn. The brunette was taller than him, but that did not stop the boy from offering a soul-piercing gaze. How could this coach act so flippant about the whole thing? Didn't he realize that this was a real incident and not some joke?

"You have no idea what happened, and you have no idea what you are talking about!" The words came out in a low growl as Yamato's heart began to pound against his chest, threatening to break out of his rib cage.

"I may not have been through exactly what you have," Taichi countered in a stubborn tone, "But I have seen my share of problems. And I know that you won't do any good bottling it up!"

"I don't even know who the hell you are! Why would I tell you anything?" As the anger raged through the scared boy's body, he felt his hands begin to shake and his head spin. He had made it so long since his last overwhelming emotional attack, mainly due to the fact he kept himself emotionally locked. But now the wound had been ripped open, and he was left to try and hide from the memories once more.

"What is going on in here?" Takeru and Kari walked into the fray with wide eyes.

"Nothing!" Yamato snapped and started backing into one of the room's corners. "Nothing is wrong, just forget it."

"Is that glass on the floor?" Kari bent down to pick up the last few pieces, but Tk kept his eyes on his brother.

"Yama?" Tk stepped forward with his hands extended to prove he meant no harm. "Why don't we get out to the porch?" As the kitchen began to descend into a more ordered chaos, Yama was able to get a little more clarity. He rubbed his forehead and gave his brother a small nod before shooting through the crowd and out the back door.

Once Yamato was outside and able to work on calming his panic attack, Hikari turned to her brother with a disapproving look. "I thought we agreed that neither of us would mention the incident?"

"I couldn't avoid it,"

"You couldn't avoid talking about the fact his agent was blown up only a few feet in front of him?"

"Look," Tai sighed and mimicked Yamato's forehead rub before explaining, "I helped him open the bottle of wine, it popped, he freaked out, and I tried to tell him he could talk to me. That it would do him some good."

"I know you meant to help," Tk patted the boy's shoulder gently and offered him a small smile. "I did the same thing when I first brought him here. And he still screams and runs when I try and ask him about the incident. All I know about the accident is what the police have told me."

"He needs time guys," Kari glanced out the window into the back yard and saw Yamato sitting at the edge of the pool with a lit cigarette between his fingers. "I bet he will come back to you Taka, once he figures out what it is he needs to know."

"Know?" Tai raised an eyebrow at his sister and wondered what her little philosophic speech could mean. He glanced over her shoulder at the moody boy in the back porch and felt a small bit of guilt creep into his sub-conscious. Maybe he was a little too gruff with Yamato. The boy had a point that they really didn't know each other personally. But after all the stories he had heard, it felt like he had met the singer before.

"Maybe we should go home, and leave you guys to rest?" Kari ushered her bother away from the window.

"No," Tk shook his head and walked over to stir a pot on the stove. "If you guys are up for staying, I think it be good for us to act like it wasn't a big deal. The research I have done on things like stress disorders and traumatic events said that routines and such can be comforting, so maybe acting normal will help as well."

"Well," Kari looked at her brother, who offered a smile, "Yes. We'll stay and have dinner."

As the group inside busied themselves with cleaning the sparkling wine off the floor and dishing out pasta onto plates, Yamato tried to focus his attention on the gently moving pool water. He had managed to calm himself down enough to stop shaking, but he was still unable to get the horrible images out of his head. Each time he closed his eyes; a bloodied and burned Miyako would greet him. If only he had been two steps ahead of her, none of this would have happened.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. **

**Thank you again to all of my reviewers! You guys inspire me to keep writing! **

**Also, I would like to mention that I am following the Japanese school system, which starts in April. So don't worry that the kids are swimming in the cold fall lol.**

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The next week and a half went by in an awkward blur for the blonde. As he worked with the kids day after day, he found himself slowly growing used to this new part of his routine. It was easy to work with kids because their grasp on news media was so limited. Half of the children in the class didn't know he was a singer, and the other half didn't care about his profession.

They were aware however, of his beautiful singing voice. In the middle of the first week, Hikari had picked up a guitar for the class' music time. She had tried valiantly to play a simple song on the instrument, but all the children and Yama heard was noise. Yamato was pretty sure that Kari had realized this was not her talent, because his first offer to play the song for the class had been met with an over enthusiastic yes. Which is how he found himself presently sitting in front of a group of uniformed children, who were trying to sing something that sounded like Old McDonald.

"Not bad kids." Yama praised the youngsters who offered him large grins in return. "Now how about we try it again with louder voices?"

"I'm afraid we will have to wait until tomorrow to try that." Hikari interrupted the music lesson much to the kids' dismay. "We need to get ready for lunch, and then a very special P.E. class."

"Special?" Yama looked up at Kari feeling a slight uneasiness begin to build in the back of his mind.

"Yes," Kari ushered the last stragglers away from the circle time rug and began to pick up a few toys in the area. "We are going to take the kids to their first swim time at the school pool. So P.E. will last longer this time."

"Ah, well good luck with that." He stood up and placed the guitar back on its stand. So far, Yamato had been able to avoid participating in the P.E. classes. There was no need for him to help out in a class that already had two trained teachers present. And it helped him avoid the last person he had shown, what he viewed as, his newly acquired psychotic stage.

"Actually," The teacher offered her volunteer an apologetic smile as the kids arranged their desks in groups for lunchtime. "I might need your help this time. Taichi has to make sure the pool is set up, and I will need someone to help the boys get into their suits while I am helping the girls."

_Great, _Yama kept a fake smile on his face as he internally began to dread the rest of the day. Part of him had wanted to apologize for yelling at Tai, but the other half of him still felt mad that Taichi had been there to see his emotional breakdown. Either way, the blonde had kept his distance from Taichi and the brunette had followed suit. Even when they passed each other in the halls, no more than a polite hello was exchanged.

Once the students had been fed, the group lined up in two separate lines and headed downstairs to the athletic area. Kari led the charge, with Takato at her heels, while Yamato slowly moseyed behind them. He was supposed to make sure none of the children wandered off, but the boy was still busily trying to think of how he should act in front of Tai. Should he just pretend nothing had happened? It seemed like a good idea, if he could keep himself in check for that long.

"Yamato?"

The boy looked up to find Hikari and all of the kids staring at him with curious expressions. Had he been in his own world too long? Yamato straightened his posture and cleared his throat to try and appear as if he had been paying attention. "Yes?"

"The boys' swim suits are in their assigned lockers in the changing room. I also had the school place one for you on top of the teacher's locker."

"Wait, you got one for me?"

"Yes. I didn't think you would want to swim in your regular clothes."

If they were being honest, Yamato didn't think he wanted to swim at all. Was it really required for him to be involved in the entire procedure? He understood that the kids needed help getting their life jackets and such on, but once they were in the pool couldn't Tai help them?

"Yea," He nodded his head unsure if this was going to end well or not. "I'll… uh, go help the kids…"

Inside the locker room, the kids were more than happy to race around arguing who owned which locker and who was going to be the best swimmer. The fast paced environment forced Yama to get out of his head, and focus on helping the kids untie their shoes, get swim caps on, and eventually get out to the pool side.

The school's swimming pool was quite impressive. Although he was not sure of the exact measurements, Yamato was pretty sure it was Olympic sized. And it was definitely a hit with the children, who Kari had to continuously usher away from the edge of the deepest end.

"All right guys, lets get in line to do some stretches." Tai's voice came over the excited giggles of the children and sent a small shiver down Yamato's back.

Kari and Yamato were placed on either side of the children, on the concrete slab a few feet away from the pool. Since it had only been about twenty minutes since the kids had eaten their lunch, Taichi started out their stretches with the simplest movements. He pulled one arm across his chest and asked for the kids to follow suit.

As the stretches began to grow more involved, Yama's mind began to wander away from the task. The boy couldn't help but notice that Tai had rather well defined abs coated by a sun kissed tan. Unlike the bronzed swim coach, Yama's own skin was rather pale. Even on his good days, the singer was sure his complexion did not match Tai's. At least Yamato was pretty sure he could hold his own against Taichi in a contest of muscle. Although he may not show it outwardly, the boy was pretty sure he had a somewhat impressive level of strength thanks to his old trainer.

"Okay, guys that should have gotten our muscles loosened up nicely." Tai clapped his hands together and watched his energetic students impatiently wait for permission to enter the pool. "We are going to start going in one at a time by using the steps on the left side. Let the teacher get in first and she will help you if you need it."

Taichi watched the kids and their two teachers head to the opposite side of the pool. Hard as he tried, which in all honesty was not very hard at all; Tai couldn't pull his gaze away from Yamato. Ever since the infamous dinner the blonde had been consuming a strange amount of Tai's thoughts. For reasons he didn't quite understand, Yamato's condition worried and slightly scared him. Each time they passed in the hallway, he wanted to inquire about how the boy was doing, but kept quit for fear of setting the other man off in the school.

"Aren't you coming in too?" One of the smaller boys called out to Tai breaking his concentration.

"Sure. Let me just climb down into the water." He offered the child a friendly smile, but mainly noted that Yama had been staring at him as well.

By the time the swimming lesson was over, the kids had learned to kick their legs properly and how to do a good arm stroke. Yama, who already knew how to swim, had learned a lesson of his own during the swim hour. When he wasn't helping a child, the boy had stolen glances at Tai to see if the brunette was still trying to steal glances of him. Each time he caught sight of the coach, the man was helping the more timid children become comfortable in the pool. The smallest member of the class, a girl named Juri, had adamantly protested letting go of the pool edge when the lesson began. By the halfway mark of swim class, Tai had gotten her to try and swim to him across the pool with a determined grin plastered across her face. The boy definitely had a talent for inspiring others.

As swim practice came to an end, the children were ushered out of the pool and back to the locker rooms. Yamato managed to get his group changed and out to their waiting parents in a shorter time then Hikari, which offered him a smidge of pride. Kari checked both locker rooms for any stragglers then freed her volunteer for the day.

With damp hair flopping into his eyes, Yamato and Takato made their way back to the pool. Taichi was busily locking up the entrance, and didn't hear either of the pair approach. Not wanting to startle the other, Yamato cleared his throat to alert the boy and tried to think of something smart to say. "Hey, you uh… got a minute?"

"Hm?" Tai turned around and offered Yama a large goofy grin. "Sure Yamato. There is a bench over by the playground we can sit at."

"Playground? Lets go!" Takato cheered and raced off to the play equipment a few yards away.

The adults followed the child in a slower more awkward walk. They took up residence on a park bench and remained in silence as each of the boys settled into a comfortable position. Taichi slunk into the bench and rested his long tanned arms on the edge of the backrest. Yamato remained more reserved by crossing his legs, and forcing his back to stay rigid and straight.

"I'm sorry," The brunette began, since the awkward pause convinced him that Yamato was having trouble starting their conversation. "I shouldn't have pushed you the way I did."

"I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. You didn't deserve that."

A cheerful laugh escaped Tai's lips, causing Yamato to stare at him blankly. Had he said something humorous? Surely this whole thing couldn't be some joke to Tai. The boy had been the one to apologize first, so that had to mean he was serious.

"Sorry," Tai shook his head and patted Yama's shoulder. "We make quite a pair huh?"

"Yea. It seems so."

"How about we forget about that night and start over? We could grab a bite to eat at this little restaurant a few blocks over tonight."

It had been a long time since someone had asked Yamato to venture out into the real world, minus his brother's school blackmail of course. When he had first disappeared from the celebrity scene his friends had tried to call and e-mail him, but none had perked the scarred boy's interest enough to entertain answering them. But two months later this offer slightly intrigued him. Somewhere between Taichi's goofy grin and his stomach's desire for a decent meal, the boy agreed.

"Great!" If it was physically possible, Tai's smile grew slightly wider.

"Where is the place?"

"Oji," Takato broke into the conversation with a soft whine, "I'm hungry Oji."

"It's in a tiny section of town. Usually only people who have lived here for a couple of years have any luck finding it. It might be easier if I just pick you up."

"Oji…"

"All right. I'll meet you at Tk's house around seven?"

"Oji!" Takato whined a little louder, unhappy that his interruptions were not being met with direct action.

"Sounds good."

As Taichi bid the group farewell, the blonde felt a warmth start to grow in his chest. He couldn't quite place the feeling, but it felt nice all the same. At least it was definitely nicer than Takato's insistent hand tugs.

"Okay, let's get you a snack Tak."

Hours later, Yamato found himself knee deep in dirty clothes. Had it really been this long since he had done laundry? A quick sniff of a shirt from the bottom of the pile answered that question. Undaunted, the boy began to sort the clothes into a possible and not possible pile.

"You cannot wear those on your date."

"First," Yama kept his eyes on the clothes, although he could feel his brother smirking behind him. "It is not a date. It is nowhere near a date. And second, some of these aren't that bad."

"Extreme denial is the first sign of a lie."

"Two no's is extreme? And you say I have lost touch."

Enjoying the rarely seen playful side of his brother, Takeru laughed openly and stepped into the room. He knelt beside the possible pile and scrunched up his brow in slight revulsion. Part of his brain wondered if he threw some of the clothes across the room would they crawl back to the knocked over laundry hamper, like roaches scattering at the first sign of light.

"Please tell me this is the no pile. And that is the other no pile."

"Actually, you are sitting in the possib-"

"Oh, so close. Thank you for playing, and now for your consolation prize." Tk grabbed hold of his brother's hand and drug him to the master bedroom.

As he stood outside of Takeru's front door, Tai shifted nervously and stared at the doorbell. His normally brave stomach was offering the smallest of flips to remind him that he couldn't afford to screw up a second time. When had a simple dinner invitation become so pressurized? This wasn't the first, and would probably not be the last time, he ventured out with a coworker for a burger. There was nothing that special about this event. At least he didn't dare to believe there was anything special.

Tk answered the door at the first knock and offered a strangely animated smile to his guest. With a quick hand motion he ushered the boy inside the house. It tickled him to no end to see his brother and Tai dance around in denial to what their dinner date could signify.

"Yama should be down in a minute. Where are the two of you going?"

"A little place by the Shinjuku area. Why are you smiling like that?"

"You don't want to know." Yamato interrupted their discussion before it could take off. Thankfully he hadn't taken to long putting on Takeru's annoyingly styled clothes. There was no way in hell he trusted the smaller blonde to avoid making some kind of giddy joke.

Feeling quite out of the loop, the brunette turned his attention to his dinner companion. Although there was nothing truly wrong with the clothes covering Yama's body, something definitely seemed off. Maybe it was the way the boy grimaced when he stole a glance at the plaid over shirt he wore. Now that Tai put his mind to it, Yamato looked an awful lot like his brother in that outfit. If they were Tk's clothes it would explain why the sleeves didn't quite reach Yama's wrists.

"We should get going." Yama ran a hand through his long blonde locks and maneuvered around Tk to his escape route. "I'll be back later Tk."

"Take your time you crazy kids!" Takeru called out jokingly as the duo headed to Tai's car. "Maybe Tai will teach you some manners." He added in a laugh as his brother threw him a small flip of the finger in response.

The Honorable Sake Café, proved to be a hidden jem amongst the strip malls of the Shinjuku area. While the outside of the building was decorated in a modest display of neon lights, the inside of the building was set aglow by a multitude of signs proclaiming the wonder and greatness of their alcohol. Amongst the signs were a tremendous amount of booths and a wider bar then Yamato had ever laid eyes on. As the bartenders slid the icy beverages to their customers, the building began to resemble an old school piano bar from the American films he'd seen on television in the United States. Of course, none of those piano bars had required so much neon along the walls.

They settled in a booth far from the bar and the general crowd. The red seats were coated in a slick material that forced those who sat on them to slouch downward. Tai had always imagined this was a purposeful choice to force everyone who sat together to look as if they were completely relaxed and comfortable. As he looked around the room at the various couples leaning on each other with blissful smiles plastered on their faces, he assumed the choice had definitely been in the restaurant's favor.

"Not a bad place." Yama offered his acquaintance a casual smile and started to examine one of the menu's piled on the table.

"Yea. Kari and I used to come here after our finals in college. You want a special drink? It's usually easier to order those at the bar then with the waitresses."

"No thanks," Yamato's answer remained strong until he heard the bar's music system spit out the first chords of his last multiplatinum hit. "On second thought, a drink might be nice."

By the time the boys had scarfed downed half of their hamburgers, there was enough alcohol in their system to diffuse the emotional edge that had been hindering their discussions. Passerbys and neighboring couples gave the laughing two some a few looks but didn't dare ask them any questions. The greatest aspect of The Honorable Sake Café had to be the fact no one cared to stick his or her nose in anyone else's business.

"All right." Taichi shoved a shot glass filled with clear liquid and some strange floating gold bits in front of Yama. "I can't believe you have never heard of Goldschlager!"

"You can't expect me to believe people drink that."

"Afraid to choke on a shred of gold?" Tai offered the other boy a challenging look. "If you aren't brave enough, I understand. Guess you aren't as tough as the world say-"

"Give me the drink." Yama took the shot and chugged it down in one quick gulp.

As a look of distaste crossed his face, Tai began to laugh rather hard. For someone with as many rock star friends as he claimed to have, Yama seemed woefully inexperienced with alcohol. If he were any indication of how most musicians behaved, no one would have to worry about anyone in the music industry ever getting a DUI.

"What do you do with all those rockers after the show anyway? Isn't it supposed to be a lifestyle of partying and little sleep?"

"It isn't as glamorous as you would like to think." Yamato coughed, took a drink of his water, and shook his head. "By the time the encores are over and you can make it through the crowd, most of the singers make a bee line for their hotel."

"Which is where some of the more colorful stereotypes have occurred."

"True, but mostly those are drug induced. I will tell you this much,"

"What?" Tai leaned in unsure if Yamato was about to impart some wisdom or enact his revenge.

"If you ever want a chance to catch a movie star or singer after their show, head to an all night breakfast place." Tai's blank stare prompted Yama to continue onward. "Think about it. We just spent hours dancing and singing on stage and our managers expect us to go to bed afterwards so we can be up at six for a morning talk show. When you are ravenous from exercise, hyped up on applause, and have to be up in another four hours anyway you head to the only available option."

"A waffle hut?"

"Yes sir."

As Tai laughed at the very idea, Yamato leaned back into his side of the booth and felt a strange wave of calmness rush over his body. How long had it been since he had felt this relaxed. It was as if his muscles had no idea how to handle their clenched state being ended. Slowly, he stretched out his legs under the table and ignored what he believed to be a rail his foot brushed.

"Eh, I'm guessing you have had enough liquor." Tai half smiled and moved his legs a few inches away from Yamato's so they were no longer touching.

"You know, this was oddly fun."

Tai nodded his head as he watched the boy's verbal blockades begin to fade. Had he really given him that much alcohol?

"I can't remember the last time I had some fun like this."

"Glad you are enjoying yourself."

"I missed coming out to places like this when I first got famous. Once people started to recognize me it was nearly impossible to get away."

For the first time since he had picked up Yamato, Taichi studied the boy's face closely. There was definitely a difference in his now pale and slightly lethargic appearance versus the glowing boy on the cover of his CDs. Suddenly Tai felt more aware of how much the incident had aged the singer. There was a certain level of baggage under the boy's eyes that gave him at least an extra year of age. But when Taichi looked into the ocean colored orbs he, unlike the multitude of restaurant patrons, had no problem picking out the true Yamma.

"Well," Tai smiled across the booth and held up his fingers in a Boy scout promise fashion, "I promise if you ever need a place where no one knows your name, I'll take you there."

Yamato smiled and felt that he had possible found the only sane person in this town.

By the end of the night, the boys had found themselves rather taken with each other. Neither truly understood how such opposite personalities had formed a sort of makeshift friendship, but they seemed to be equally enjoying each other's company. And as they wandered up Tk's sidewalk laughing over some unknown joke, the world seemed to finally be going at the perfect speed for Yamato.

"I'm telling you, after that vocal work in the car," Yamato chuckled and leaned against the doorframe. "You could definitely be in some kind of band."

"And I'm telling you," Tai walked more steadily behind his friend. "You are definitely drunk."

There was no way Tai could have spotted it, but as he took the last faithful step on the sidewalk his foot hit a crack and he came tumbling forward. Spotting his friends graceless fall, Yamato leaned forward in an effort to catch the boy. While his arms failed in their effort to catch the man, his lips did not suffer from such disappointment.

Suddenly, the boys found themselves in an accidental lip lock. Unable to pull away, Yama stared into Taichi's amber colored eyes and tried to make an intelligible thought. But all he could focus on was the smooth texture of the other man's lips and the strength of Tai's hands gripping his forearms.

As they pulled away from the kiss, both men felt the intense pressure of sobriety wash over them. Each in turn tried to open his mouth and offer some explanation, apology, or at least a statement and each man in turn failed to produce a sound.

Taking the leader position, Taichi cleared his throat and tried to offer a simple statement. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

Yamato found it hard to concentrate as his head swam in a sea of uncertainty. Did he want that kiss to happen? Had this been an actual date? Could this be some sort of otherworldly intervention to remind him that he was in no mental shape to make any descion?

"Yea," Yama took a deep breath and decided that this was one time he was going to try a small leap of faith.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. **

**Thank you to Psycho Weasel and Cearta Day for being faithful reviewers. You two are awesome! And a big thank you to all my other readers for continuing to visit my story. You guys and gals rock! **

* * *

Neither man spoke of the midnight kiss when they were reunited on the school grounds. An air of secrecy seemed to flow comfortably between them as they went about their daily business. It was almost as if they had telepathically agreed that their kiss was too fragile to speak of out loud.

Hikari quickly noted the change in the boys' behavior. Every so often she had stolen glances of her brother and Yamato laughing as they taught the kindergartners to swim throughout the week. She was amazed that one dinner could do so much for the boys' relationship, and very grateful that Yamato's shell appeared to be cracking. It had been nearly impossible for the little sister to keep her observations to herself, but she managed to do so until her dinner date with Takeru.

"You should have seen it," She explained to her boyfriend. "After a week of ignoring each other they are suddenly acting like best friends."

"That didn't take long," Tk admitted as he pushed the vegetables around his plate.

"It isn't that unusual for Tai. The boy could make friends with a cactus. What surprised me was that Yamato didn't seem upset or even annoyed."

That statement stopped Tk's thoughts and set him on a course to examine the facts of the situation. As much as he loved his brother, he could not give the boy the benefit of the doubt when it came to making friends. Even as a child Yamato had been described as a loner. He just wasn't the type to make a friend that quickly. So what was different now?

"Maybe we shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth," Kari smiled sweetly at Takeru, "We had been worried about whether our families would get along. This has to be a good sign."

_That was it_, Tk thought as his head drifted back to an older conversation. Yamato knew he wanted to propose to Kari, and he knew that his brother was nervous about joining the two families. Could this overly friendly side be a product of that discussion? A small bit of guilt washed over Tk as he imagined his brother putting up with far more interaction then he desired.

"Do you think Yama would be up for meeting the rest of my family?"

"I thought your parents didn't know he was in town."

"They don't." She took a slow sip of her drink and tried to reassure her boyfriend that she hadn't broken her promise to keep Yamato's whereabouts a secret. "But I can't stop them from watching the news. They can barely turn on the television without being bombarded with rumors about the explosion. I'm sure they have wondered if he is living with you, but I haven't said anything."

It never ceased to amaze Takeru how bloodthirsty the media could become when they smelled emotions. During trips to the grocery store he had learned to become hyper vigilant. While most children begged for candy at the checkout counter, Takato constantly asked why his uncle was on the cover of magazines and newspapers. What could he say? That half the country thinks Oji is dead, and the other half think he is being detained by some sort of secret police?

"I know they must have questions. I can't blame them for that."

"At least Miyako is on the mend." Kari tried to cheer him up, but Tk didn't seem to share her hopeful outlook. "What happened, hun?"

"Her family called this morning for Yamato."

Kari took a sharp breath and covered her mouth with her hand. "You don't mean?"

"She is having a rough time. The doctors are worried that even if she wakes up, she might need special care for the rest of her life."

"That poor woman…"

"Her family desperately wants to talk to Yamato, but he won't answer their calls or letters."

"He probably thinks they blame him for the whole incident."

"That is exactly what they are afraid of. Miyako's family adores him though. They have known him since he was just a struggling artist and as far as they are concerned he is just another one of their kids."

"I hope Yama, can realize how much they care about him."

Hikari understood little about life in the bright lights of stardom, but she was pretty sure the Inoue family's concern for Yamma was out of the norm. It was nice to see a more human side to the music business. She stood from her chair and walked behind Tk's, before wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"You know," She whispered the subject change into his ear with a smile. "If our brothers get along this well, we may have a chance of creating a family holiday of some sort."

"Hm, why don't we start out with our own private holiday instead?"

"What did you have in mind?" Kari smiled and looked deeply into Takeru's bright blue eyes.

"I'll show you," He gently cupped her cheek with his left hand and captured her pink lips with his own.

"Hey Kari!" Taichi entered the apartment in a rush to find his sister and her boyfriend locked in romantic smooch. "Well, well, well… Do your mothers know what you two kids are up to?"

The couple jumped apart decorated with matching crimson cheeks. With slight annoyance and embarrassment they watched Taichi chuckle at their behavior. Back in the day, it had seemed like such a good idea to give him an emergency key. But years later, there had been very few emergencies and quite a few awkward interruptions.

"It's nice to see you again Tai." Ever the peacemaker, Tk tried to diffuse the situation with pleasantries.

"If that's true then you are not making your move correctly." Tai teased with a wide grin coating his tanned face.

"Taichi Yagami!" Kari chastised her older brother and offered him the same look of annoyance their mom had perfected during their childhood.

"Sorry, sorry." Tai held his hands up in defeat and gave Kari a shrug of his shoulders.

"What was it you came here to tell me anyway?"

"Oh, I almost forgot! I went out to the Sake bar with a few friends of mine and the owner told us that he has been approached by a film crew who want to use his place in an upcoming movie."

"Good for him. But what does that have to do with me?"

"The rumored star of the picture is Sora Takenouchi."

Kari stopped mid-way to the kitchen, her arms filled with dirty dishes. A look of surprise filtered across her face as she absorbed the news. Not completely understanding why the name seemed so important to his girlfriend, Tk picked up a few dishes before venturing a question.

"Is she the one you said was your favorite actress?"

"I have always admired her work." Kari set the dishes in the dishwasher and tried to wrap her mind around the fact one of her favorite actresses would be in her town.

"Like her work?" Tai turned his smile to Tk, "This is the same girl who defended the low budget romantic comedy _Field of Rabbits_."

"She was young and it was just her first move!"

"Don't think I have heard of that film." Tk placed the last dishes in the dishwasher.

"Not surprising. The film was hated by so many critics it is hardly even played on television anymore."

"Don't make me out you on your favorite celebrity Taichi. And Sora has had multiple hits since then."

As the siblings continued to pester each other, the wheels in Takeru's head began to spin. He had been waiting for the perfect way to propose to Kari, and this could be it. There was no doubt his lovely girlfriend would be ecstatic if he could get them on set, but she would probably be absolutely floored if he proposed to her in front of her favorite actress.

"I should probably get home." Tk glanced at the wall clock before giving his girlfriend a gentle kiss. "Yamato is probably tired of babysitting and I promised Takato that I would tuck him in tonight."

"All right. I will call you tomorrow hun." Hikari offered the boy a warm hug, sad that he didn't live in the same house as her. She walked the boy out to his car while Tai helped himself to a bite of the leftover dinner.

On the other side of town, a very not tired Takato was using an extremely tired blonde as a prop. Placed sporadically around the adult's body were stuffed Digimon. Upon Yamato's bare feet, the five year old had placed his plastic action figurines. The only task left was to find a way to place his stuffed Gabumon on his uncle's head.

Takeru worked hard to enter his house quietly in case his son was sleeping on the living room couch. But as he entered the room in question, he was surprised to find Takato busily decorating a passed out Yamato. It didn't surprise Tk that his brother was exhausted. Between helping the school, hanging out with Tai, and his nightmares the boy was a walking insomnia factory. Maybe he should lay off asking for babysitting services for a while.

"Daddy!" Takato chirped out as he caught sight of Takeru.

Yamato woke with a start and batted a stuffed Agumon and Patamon off his chest. Something stabbed his right foot as he tried to stand up from the couch, enticing a silent curse to escape his lips. How long had he been out? The last thing he remembered was sitting down to read his nephew a story.

"Hey buddy," Tk picked up his son and offered his big brother a grin. "Long evening?"

"Guess so."

"It was stupendous!" Takato giggled much to his father's surprise.

"Where did you learn that big of a word?"

"My teacher taught me lots of big words Daddy."

Tk hugged his son closely, feeling a dash of pride that his son was so intelligent. "You are one smart little guy."

"While you tuck in the kid, I'm gonna head out to the porch. Night Tak."

Feeling slightly out of the loop when it came to parental pride, Yama retreated back to his safety zone. When he had been a struggling musician barely scrapping by each month, his parents had both tried to convince him that it was not to late to leave the music scene and try for a real job. It hadn't surprised him when his mother tried to convince him to quit, but when his father had agreed with his ex-wife the boy had felt a rather cold shower of disappointment. Out of his two parents, Yamato had always felt closer to his father. The man was a workaholic, but he just knew how to get along with Yamato. Up until that point his father had always been a great source of help and advice to the blonde, but now years later he wondered if he had even made the parent who knew him best proud.

By the time Tk had tucked his son into bed, picked up a few of the toys coating the living room floor, and made it out to the porch Yamato was halfway through his third cigarette. He eyed his older brother with a concerned expression and noted the man had finally put a little weight on his far to slender frame. Although he was curious just what kind of relationship his brother had with Tai, he didn't dare poke his nose into Yamato's business. If Taichi could get that boy to eat, he was more than welcome to stay around for a bit.

"Thanks for babysitting, Yama."

"No prob." The boy blew a cloud of smoke out and tried to wave it away from Tk. "How was date night?"

"Good. I think I finally figured out how I am going to propose to Kari."

"That's great. What is the plan?"

"Taichi showed up at her apartment tonight to tell her that the Sake bar is going to be used in a movie. And Kari's favorite actress is the rumored star of the film. I figure if I can get us on set, she can meet her favorite actress and get a proposal at the same time."

"Who is her favorite?"

"I think the name was, Sora Takenouchi."

Yamato coughed as he took a far to large drag on his cigarette in surprise. The tobacco filled item fell from his mouth and burned his hand as he tried to catch it. Tk stomped out the cancer stick on the ground, and patted his hacking brother on the back.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" The boy coughed harder to get the excess fumes out. "You just surprised me."

"Do you know her or something, Yama?"

Did he know her? Did the red light know the green light? Yes, he knew Sora Takenouchi well. They had danced the line between couple and friends for years. The last dance had ended abruptly when he ducked out of the spotlight and disappeared from his old life. In all honesty, he had wanted to tell her that he was physically okay and just needed time to mentally recuperate… but that proved easier thought then done. With all the craziness of the situation, that job had fallen to one of his staff members.

"Are you friends?" Tk sat down across from his brother and hoped the boy would respond to the question.

"Yeah."

Technically, it was not a lie. They had been very close before he went off his rocker. She had been his first friend in the big city. It had been Sora who introduced him to Miyako and gotten him signed to a record deal. He owed her a lot of things, and a decent apology was probably the first thing on the list.

Tk perked up in his seat and offered Yamato a smile. While he had created the perfect engagement plan, he still had no idea how he would get Kari and himself on set. "Do you think you could ask her if we could take Kari on the set?"

"We?"

"Don't you want to see your friend?"

_If she doesn't kill me_, Yama thought as he gave TK a shrug of his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I have been asking you for so many favors." Tk rubbed his arm awkwardly as he tried to find a good way to admit he was nervous he had been using his brother too much. "I am just nervous. I really want this proposal to go well."

"I know Tk." Internally he could feel himself bending to his baby brother's request. Ever since they were kids, Yama had tried to make sure he was a good big brother. He hadn't always been perfect, heck he rarely was, but he could at least try and do this for his brother and himself. "I'll give her a call tomorrow and see what I can do."

"Thank you!" Tk's face immediately lit up with appreciation for his brother's agreement to help contact Sora. "I promise I will repay you somehow Yama."

"Just pay my doctor's bill and we are good." The older boy tried to laugh softly as he rubbed his sore foot.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. **

**Thank you to all my reviewers and readers. :)**

* * *

By lunchtime the next day, Yamato still had not called Sora. He had spent most of the night fretting over what he should or should not say and how mad she would definitely be. He stared down at his bowl of instant Ramen with slight distaste. It was hard to think about eating when he just wanted a very long nap.

Taichi stared at the boy as he took a rather large yawn and rested his head on his left hand. As far as Tai knew, Yamato slept only a few hours each night. If the man was this tired he must not have slept at all last night. It seemed strange that the boy would fall back into this slump of exhaustion after his small bits of improvements over the past week. Sure, it wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination. But at least earlier in the week, Yama hadn't been coming dangerously close to dipping his hair into his food.

"You okay?" He asked and pulled the steaming bowl away from Yamato's head.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Just not very hungry."

"How about we do something different then?" He grasped Yama's hand and started to pull him away from the teacher's lounge.

There was little strength, and desire, in Yamato to resist Taichi's excited movements. So he followed his friend obediently to the soccer fields. The kindergartners had not reached their lessons on soccer, so Yamato had yet to get a chance to truly inspect the field. He knew it existed only because Taichi had talked about it at length during their first meeting and shown him a quick glimpse of it.

After reaching the grass, Tai left Yama on his own to look around as he wandered over to the ball caddy. The musician glanced up at the sky and smiled when he saw few clouds and a bright sun shining down. He collapsed onto the grass and placed his hands behind his head fully intending to take a nice nap in the warmth of the sun.

"On your feet, Sport." Tai leaned over him and blocked the warm sun.

"What?"

"We are doing something new remember?" He helped Yama to his feet and led him onto the soccer field.

"I haven't played many sports…" He admitted with slight embarrassment, as Taichi set him a few feet away from the goal then took his spot as goalie.

"Don't worry." He kicked the ball gently to Yama, "Just take a breath, concentrate, and give it a good kick."

Feeling a bit like an American cartoon character, Yama set the ball on the ground and took a few steps back. After taking his breath and focusing on the ball in front of him, Yamato rushed forward and gave it a hard kick with the toe of his shoe. He watched in disappointment as Tai stopped the ball without having to even move from his spot. The brunette's words of encouragement did little to make him feel better as they continued to kick and fail.

"People do this for fun?" Yama grumbled as he started to grow a little frustrated with his lack of ability to handle the ball.

"You're getting better. Just try kicking it with the side of your foot."

"Seriously?"

"Trust me."

He took a deep breath and tried to put his faith in the coach's advice. Yamato could normally spot someone when they lied to him, and Tai didn't appear to be showing any kind of tick when he spoke. Maybe, he could do this after all! Feeling a strange burst of confidence surge through him, the musician ran at the ball and offered it a hard side kick. The ball swerved from the new kicking style and ran into the goal post before shuttling back at Yamato.

"Yamato?"

All of a sudden the boy realized things had turned dark around him. He could hear Tai's voice calling out, but it was hard to focus on the sound. What was easy to focus on was the pain now radiating through his head and lips. "What the…"

"Hey Sport," Taichi greeted the boy with a slightly relieved face as his blue eyes opened back up. "The good news is you really showed that ball who is the boss. But on the other hand, I think you might have broken your nose… and maybe your lip."

"Wha- Ow!" The boy hissed in pain as he tried to touch his swollen bottom lip.

"Don't worry," Tai's voice took on a level of compassion that surprised Yamato, as he helped the other to his feet and supported him. "I'll take care of you. We just have to go to the school nurse and it will be okay. I promise."

The medical ward proved to be quite impressive, as well as rather far from the field. Aside from the three main exam rooms, a large room was set-aside with multiple beds for students to stay in until their caregivers could fetch them. The resident nurse set the boy up in the third exam room, while Tai sent a message out to Kari that neither he nor Yamato would be able to make it to the kindergarten class for at least an hour or more.

"You must have hit that ball hard," The nurse studied Yama's nose as Tai reentered the room.

The boy flinched as she prodded and poked his swelling face. He could feel the blood beginning to try and run into his mouth and it sickened him. If there was one thing Yamato disliked about the human body it was blood. He could handle other people's blood if he had to, but seeing and smelling his own was enough to send his stomach into convulsions. As the nurse began to press a bit of gauze on his lip to curb the bleeding, Yamato prayed she would make the wound clot quickly.

"Well," The nurse began to look through the cabinets in the room as Yama held the gauze to his lip. "The good news is your nose is in tact, but you do have some major bruising on the lower part of your left eye, cheek, and definitely a nice cut on your lip."

"But nothing is broken." Tai broke in trying to lighten the mood.

"You were _lucky_." The nurse offered Tai a somewhat serious look then turned to Yama, "We seem to be out of shirts in your size so I am going to go grab one. Keep that gauze on your lip with constant pressure."

"Shirt?"

"Yes. You need something with less blood on it."

As she described his shirt being bloodied, Yama felt his head swim slightly. He hadn't been brave enough to look down at his once crisp white shirt since the accident. When the nurse walked out of the room, he tilted his head upward to avoid a chance of seeing his stained clothes and hoped it would also cause his lip to stop bleeding quicker.

"Not a fan of blood, huh?"

Tai stepped closer to the other man and examined his button up shirt with a casual face. After years in sports, Taichi had seen his share of injuries. From broken bones to dislocated shoulders, nothing had been able to faze him. Injuries just came with the territory of sports.

"Never been a big fan…" The blonde mumbled as flashbacks of his first hospital visit as a child rushed back into his head.

"How about I help since this might be partially my fault?"

Although he felt awkward letting Tai undress him, he didn't see much of a choice in front of him. There was no way Yama trusted his stomach to stay still enough to take off his shirt. He adjusted himself so he was sitting on the edge of the exam table and took a slow breath to calm his surprisingly quick paced heart. "All right."

"One shirt coming off."

Tai smiled at the boy to try and alleviate his obvious un-comfortableness in this new activity. He stood calmly between Yama's spread legs and began to work on the first button. Luckily none of the blood had landed on the areas the brunette had to access. He ignored the small stains as his hands worked their way down the front of Yama's chest.

Once he had all of the buttons undone, the boy began to tug the shirt off of Yama one side at a time. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted that his patient was trying very hard to not make eye contact with him. Then again, Tai was surrounded by something that forced Yama's stomach to do cartwheels, so maybe it wasn't him that was the problem.

"There, you go."

Tai tossed the shirt into a medical waste container near the door of the room and turned back to Yamato. There seemed to be no point in pretending that he wasn't curious to see the boy's chest, so he let his eyes take a quick glance of the skin. When they had been swimming, he had been unable to get a clear view but now he could spot a few scars on the boy's abdomen and chest. The largest of the scars was a long mark sitting near his right collarbone. What or _who_ could have left a mark like that?

Not being the type to think his questions through before asking, the brunette piped up quickly, "Hey Yama, what happened to your collar bone?"

Now that the shirt was out of sight, Yamato tilted his head back down and caught sight of Tai. Yama knew exactly where the scars came from. He could still remember the sting of each separate mark as the doctors had fixed them not so long ago. What he didn't know was whether he felt up to sharing that information with another person. But as he pondered the pros and cons, he couldn't help but get caught up in the fiery spark behind Tai's eyes. It seemed ridiculous, but Yamato could have sworn he saw a hint of protectiveness in those amber orbs. There was no way he wanted to spill his guts to Tai, but maybe letting out a little of his pent up steam couldn't hurt.

"This," He fingered the scar from memory, "And the ones on my sides are all from parts of car shrapnel. A piece of glass from the car lodged into my body, and they had to stitch the wound up once they pulled it out."

Taichi was struck silent, which was a rather rare occurrence. He kept his amber eyes trained on the blonde and wondered if he was the first person to know this information. Why him? Surely, Yamato would have been more likely to tell his brother about anything pertaining to the accident. The brothers had known each other forever, and Yama had only known Tai for a few weeks.

"Have you ever thought of going pro?" Yamato did feel slightly better letting a little of his information out, but he was more than ready to move on from the topic.

"What?"

"In soccer. Did you ever want to go pro?"

"Well," This time Tai was the one to take a slow breath and try to think of an answer to the question. "I got pretty far. In fact, I made it to the final qualifying game for the Japanese Olympic team."

"What happened?"

Taichi propped his leg on Yamato's exam table and pointed to a scar on his tanned leg. "I went to kick the final goal for my team and ended up getting hit by the other teams goalie at the wrong angle. We won the game, but I was out of commission for a while. By the time I was healed they were already in the middle of the competition and I got a job here."

"You didn't try again?"

"Once, but none of the teams want people my age."

"You are only in your late twenties!"

"True," Tai chuckled at Yama's sudden interest in his story. "But a lot of those Olympic teams consist of kids who are barely over the drinking age."

Their conversation was ended abruptly as the nurse came back inside and flashed her patient a high school level uniform shirt. "I'm afraid this is the only option we have as far as a new shirt. What are you two doing?"

Tai pulled his leg from the table and stepped away from Yamato with a small blush coating his cheeks. "Just stretching out some. You know how important it is for athletes to remain limber."

"Uh-huh." Her voice was flat as she listened to Tai's excuse. "Well I don't care if you go running, but I want you mister Ishida to rest and relax at home. Take it easy for a while."

She checked the boy's fat bottom lip to make sure it had reached a nice clot, and took the gauze away from him in exchange for the shirt. Thankful for a clean shirt, Yama pulled on the item with little opposition. They had been in the medical ward far to long for his comfort and he was ready to escape.

Without a physical education class to wear the kids down, Hikari's day had been quite tiring. She had never been more thankful for the last bell to ring and let loose the kids. Well, all of the kids minus Takato whose uncle had yet to show back up to the classroom. As Kari took the child's hand and walked down to the medical ward, she wondered what could have happened to the boys. All Tai's note had stated was that there had been a small soccer accident.

"Oh my goodness…" As the pair came around the corner and Kari caught sight of her brother and a very bruised Yamato standing outside the nurses station, she felt a wave of disbelief cover her mind. "What did you do guys do? Use his head as the ball?"

"Oji, your all black and purple!" Takao chirped in as he let go of Kari and wandered over to his uncle with curious eyes.

"It's okay bud." Yama ruffled the kid's hair and tried to reassure him that everything was all right.

"Are you alright Yamato?" Kari walked up to the pair and examined each inch of the boy's face.

"Yea." He hid a small wince as his lip continued to throb. "I just need to rest at home and I'll be fine."

"Tai, you should take him home."

"What?" Taichi had been drifting out of the conversation, but was brought fully back when Kari called on him.

"You should drive Takato and Yamato home."

"What about you?"

"I'll take your car and you," she turned to Yamato, "You took Tk's car this morning?"

The boy nodded, unsure if he should be so truthful at this point.

"You know how to drive Tk's car better then I do, so you should take the boy's home and keep an eye on Yamato until Tk gets there."

"I really don't need a babysitter, guys. I'll be fine."

"You shouldn't leave a person with a head wound alone. At least not for the first few hours."

"But even the nurse said he didn't need to worr-" Tai stopped mid-sentence; knowing that look in his sister's eyes meant he had lost. How did that little girl always know what to say to convince him to help?

"Kari, I'll be fin-"

"Don't bother," Tai placed a hand on Yama's shoulder and shook his head. "You will not win. Trust me."

Twenty minutes later, Takato, Yamato, and Taichi had reached Takeru's spacious home. The smallest of the group raced up the stairs to look for his puppy, while the adults retreated to the kitchen. Yama stared at his reflection in the toaster on the counter with slight distaste. His nephew hadn't been kidding when he stated that half of his uncle's face was now a shade of black. At least his top lip wasn't as swollen as the sliced bottom one.

"I got an idea that just might work." Tai spoke up from the refrigerator he was currently digging through.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Good thing Takeru went shopping." He continued as he pulled out a large steak from the fridge.

"You have to be kidding…" Yamato backed away from the boy until his backside ran into the counter leaving him trapped in the kitchen.

"This will help with the swelling." Tai approached the boy with the steak leading the way.

"That is just a myth," Yama shook his head and wished he could get past Tai and out into the house where he would have a better shot of running away.

"Think of it this way, the steak is cold so even if it doesn't have magic healing powers it will also work as an ice pack."

"A bloody, slightly nasty ice pack…"

"But an ice pack, none the less." Tai cornered Yama and laid the cold slab of meat on his eye.

With his bruised face now covered with a piece of raw meat, Yama felt his ridiculousness quota had been met for the day. If only the paparazzi could see him cornered in a kitchen with an insane wanna be doctor dolling out slabs of meat. Wouldn't that be a lovely picture on the cover of some magazine? It would go great next to the article titled countrywoman has alien baby.

"How about we get you set up on the couch?" Tai offered his patient a smile and took his hand to lead him to the living room.

As the brunette settled his friend into the soft couch cushions, Takato and his rather large German Shepard puppy came bounding into the room. The child stopped to stare at his uncle who was now resting his head on the couch's armrest. Where the adults playing some kind of game? Why would they put meat on his uncle's face?

"My daddy puts those things on the grill." Takato informed Taichi.

"Well that is what most people do with them. But Tai-"

"It is an old medical trick." Tai cut in and kneeled down to Takato's level. "You see if you put a steak on a black eye, it will help the eye heal quicker."

"Really? What other foods can do that kind of stuff?" Takato had always admired his P.E. coach, and didn't believe for a second that the man could possibly be wrong about the meat cure.

The entire incident was starting to sound ridiculous to Yamato. Maybe, just maybe, steaks could help a black eye, but he highly doubted there were a ton of miracle foods out there. What would Taichi come up with next? Spinach fixes cuticles? Oysters work wonders on blisters?

Before Yamato could come up with another ridiculous example, he became aware of something touching his feet. Whatever it was decided to give his toes a long lick. This action alerted the boy to the simple truth, that his visitor was most likely the 11-month-old puppy Takato had named Suki.

"Suki?" The boy mumbled under the meat as the puppy began to sniff his leg. The dog's interest in Yamato's scent increased as he neared the juicy piece of meat. Yama pet the fluffy fur covering the pup's chest as the dog watched him with impish eyes. Slowly, the animal leaned his head forward and took hold of the steak. "Suki, leave it."

The dog shot out of the room with his prize locked tightly in his jaws. The miracle food discussion group noticed the theft a moment to late and took off after the dog. From his position on the couch, Yamato was able to watch the dog zip through the living room every so often. Maybe that dog was smarter then he thought? So far he had managed to outrun a trained soccer player and a five year old. "I got to remember to get her a bone…" He mumbled under his breath as the dog's theft helped the room smell less like raw meat.

After filling a real ice pack Yamato lay down on the couch and let his eyes close in hopes he would fall fast asleep. Taichi joined him in the living room a moment later with a shirt stained by the small shreds of raw meat he had wrangled from the dog. He examined the patient with an inexperienced eye and wondered if he should make sure Yamato woke up every so many hours. Then again, he looked so peaceful sleeping that it was almost impossible to convince himself to wake the boy.

Suki, feeling rather satisfied with herself, came bounding into the room with Takato. The child flipped on the television to a cartoon channel and took a seat on the room's smaller loveseat. The dog curled up on the floor in front of the chair and kept her eyes trained on the electronic box. "Suki likes to watch the funny cartoons." Takato explained as if it was a simple fact.

"Ah," Tai nodded his head in understanding and walked over to the edge of the couch. He picked up Yama's feet and sat down, before letting the bare appendages rest on his lap. Sure it was a strange position, but he wasn't about to go sit by the dog that fought him tooth and nail for a piece of meat. Yama was asleep anyway, so he wouldn't mind.

Meetings with his agent always tired Takeru. Every meeting started and ended with the same requests and demands, yet they were always changed just slightly to keep him on his toes. Every member of the staff had questions they claimed must be answered and Tk always found them to be silly and trivial. Who needed to know if the main character was of French Canadian or French decent when he lived in a post apocalyptic world? At least he was at home now. All he had to do was check on Yamato and Takato then take Tai home, according to Kari's phone message.

"Hey girl, where is everyone?" He smiled as Suki greeted him at the door, and then followed her as she led him to the living room.

As his eyes caught sight of his extra long couch and its occupants, a smile spread across his lips. Snuggled upon the sofa were Taichi and a rather bruised Yamato. The boys were intertwined awkwardly on the couch with only a homemade ice pack between their faces. Unable to pass up the humor of the moment, Tk pulled out his smartphone and snapped a picture of the two cuddle monsters.

"Daddy?" Takato yawned and reached out to his dad from the loveseat in he corner of the room. The adult flipped off the TV and picked his child up, allowing the sleepy kid to rest his head on his shoulder. "Oji okay Daddy." The child wrapped his arms tightly around his father's neck. "He had a steak."

_Dinner and a show, huh?_ Tk laughed softly and rubbed his son's back to help soothe the boy back to sleep. In all truth, he wasn't sure if his brother and Tai had meant to end up in that position or not. Maybe if Yama had offered a little more info on his relationship with Tai, Tk could have made the call about whether to wake them or not. But he had offered no such clue, Tk grinned, so Yamato was going to have to handle this one all on his own.

* * *

**P.S.: Just wanted to mention that the meat cure probably is not the best idea. It can be kinda germy so you are better off using ice like Yamato wanted. :) But it was so much fun to see Yamato be pushed into that by Taichi. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

**I would like to say thank you to Psycho Weasel for reminding me that I needed to add breaks when the characters move around. :) Thanks to all who peruse my little fic! **

* * *

By the time the sun had begun to rise, Yamato found himself waking up from the most restful night of sleep he had experienced in months. Maybe soccer was a secret sleep aid… Then again, he had been hit in the head pretty hard. The more likely case was probably some kind of brain abnormality. The rays of sunshine began to filter through the blinds, forcing the boy's aqua eyes to open.

Once he had gotten them open, Yama had to take a few seconds to adjust to being in the world of the seeing once again. The sight that greeted him convinced the boy he must still be dreaming. Only an ice pack away lay Taichi's sleeping face. A peaceful smile coated the boy's lips, but it was interrupted as his amber eyes began to open.

Although the water remnants in the bag distorted the face, Taichi was pretty sure the surprised pair of eyes that greeted his own belonged to Yamato. A feeling of surprise ran through his lanky form causing him to jerk against Yama's body. "I uh," He chuckled awkwardly and tried to pull his arms from the Blonde's chest. "I don't know how this happened…"

"You're not the only one." Feeding the awkward movements, Yama tried to scoot away from Tai. But the couch's edge offered him no more room and he went tumbling to the floor with Taichi on top.

"Maybe," Tai mumbled against his neck before pulling himself off the boy's chest, "We should untangle the legs before leaping off the couch?"

"Haven't really had practice with this kind of stuff." A blush spread over Yama's cheeks. Surely, this couldn't get any worse.

"Look whose up."

Apparently, there was a way to make this worse.

"Hey Tk." Tai finally pulled himself completely off Yamato and hoped to his feet. "We uh, ran into each other. But no harm done."

"Ran into each other?" Tk sipped his coffee with a devilish grin. "Just a big accidental collision huh?"

Yama pulled himself up from the floor and sat back down on the edge of the couch. The side of his face was throbbing, reminding him that he was due for a painkiller. "Accidents happen, Tk."

"And sometimes," The younger brother quipped easily, "They are rather good."

It was too early in the morning for Yamato to handle his brother's philosophical ramblings. How was it that he had spent an awkward night with Tai and just seen his brother, yet he was a lot more pissed at the latter? No matter. He wouldn't let this bother get to him. All he had to do was remain calm and Tk would never tease him again. "You might as well have a cup of coffee while you are here, Tai."

"Yeah. Sounds good." The brunette was more than happy to follow Yama to the kitchen and out of the mischievous blue orbs of Takeru.

By the time Takeru had gotten his son up and dressed, Tai was itching to get back to his own home and change clothes. Aside from Yama, who with Kari's blessing was taking a sick day to recover, the rest of the household was anxiously getting ready to start their day.

"You sure you are okay by yourself?" Takeru asked as he strapped his son into his booster seat.

"I'm fine. If I made it this far without falling into a coma or anything, I think I am out of the woods."

"All right," Tk watched his brother's gaze shift from him to Tai to him again. "Just call me if you need anything."

"Don't worry, mom." Yama teased to lighten the mood as he ushered Tk into his seat and shut the door. "And Tai…" The boy stopped mid-way to the door and looked towards Yama. "Thanks for, taking care of me when I got hit."

A large smile spread across the Brunette's lips and warmed Yamato's chest. "Anytime, Sport. Anytime."

Once he had the house to himself, Yamato popped a few ibuprofens and headed to his real bedroom upstairs. He tugged off his shirt and laid down on the cushioned mattress. It had been far to long since he had tried sleeping on this thing. Sure he spent time in his room, but that was usually spent looking up things on the news or practicing a few new songs he had written. Now, he felt the pills lift his facial agony and the world of dreams call his name…

"_Yamato!" The girl practically growled the name out in frustration. "You told me you would go!" _

"_I know, I know," He glanced around the room and couldn't help but notice multiple pairs of famous eyes were watching them with great interest. "I will go. But you need to lower your voice Miyako." _

"_We tried that way," she rebutted in a growing panic, "And that way didn't do anything. So I am going to yell at you until you get this through your blonde head!"_

_Looking back on his plan to have this conversation in a public restaurant so his agent wouldn't freak out, the boy felt slightly stupid. He should have known better. Miyako was loud and passionate when she cared about something, and apparently she cared about this a lot. "We can go right after lunch." Yama tried to appease the woman who would have known of his excuses. _

"_No sir! We are not going to waste anymore time. I am taking you. You promised me you would go, so now I am going to make sure you go. And we are not going to leave until you confess to the police!" _

_The headwaiter of the fancy restaurant waddled over to the couple and tried to diffuse the situation by talking to Miyako. "Excuse me, but is there a problem we can help you with?"_

"_Yes there is," A very determined Miyako looked the waiter in the eye, "We need to leave quickly so can you please have them bring the check and pull the Ishida car out front."_

_Surprised by the tone, the waiter nodded his head and scampered off to the valet stand at the front of the building. _

"_Fine." A flustered Yama ran his hand through his semi-perfectly fashioned locks and was surprised to realize he had beads of sweat nervously clutching his forehead. It was strange to see his normally flustered agent take on such a direct mother hen role. Normally she would be a bit spastic and panic, but this was a level he had not seen in Miyako. Almost as if she was some kind of grizzly bear out to tear up a stranger who messed with her cub. Surely, she couldn't care that much about him though. Right? "I'll tell the police everything."_

"_Good!" She kept a critical eye on the boy, making him feel more like a bear cub. "I know you think you will get in trouble, but you need to confess."_

"_Excuse me mam, but your car is ready and here is your bill."_

_Yamato grabbed the slip of paper first and pulled out his wallet. "Let me get this one."_

"_All right. I'll get the car."_

_After paying the waiter with one of his multiple credit cards, Yama put on his sunglasses and starred out the front windows. He could see a handful of paparazzi scattered outside and the top of Miyako's head as she maneuvered her way through them. Since he was in no hurry to tell the police anything, the boy stopped to talk to a friend or two before heading out into the bright camera lights. _

"_Miyako?" He called out through the clicks of camera's and begs of cameramen to hold a pose._

"_Over here Yamato!" The girl called out to her client and placed her hand on the driver's side door handle. "By the car!"_

"_Hold on." He called back swimming through the crowd as best he could._

"_I'll driv-"_

_The words were cut short as a loud bang and a blinding spread of light took over the front drive of the restaurant. Something pierced Yama's chest and torso forcing a scream of pain to escape his lips. All around him, the boy could hear shrieks of pain and whimpers of those who probably would not make it much longer. But he could not focus on those spread out around him. His eyes were glued to one particular nightmare that had landed in front of him; Miyako's charred body. _

Yamato sat up with a start and felt his chest heave as a wave of nausea threatened his body. All over his body was a cold sweat that both chilled and cooled his body. Why couldn't his dreams be filled with running sheep? Why did his subconscious want to torture him with memories of that horrible day?

Feeling slightly dizzy, the boy stumbled out of the bed and into the bathroom. He was surprised when the mirror showed him that some his facial swelling had gone down. The cut on his lip was still stinging though, and gave him a sharp stab when he ran his tongue over the wound. But he really didn't mind the pain today. In truth, he was happy for anything that reminded him he was awake and no longer stuck in the nightmare.

As he stripped off his remaining clothes, the boy's mind began to wander back to Taichi. Why had he slept so much better next to the other boy? It wasn't as if Tai had done anything different, besides introduce Yamato to a sport that he was not cut out for. So what was different? _Maybe_, He thought as he stepped into the shower, _there is something to that concept of being physically close to someone to calm your nerves. _

The last time he had slept with someone so close to him, he had been in Sora's vacation home. They had headed out of town for a vacation from the spotlight and she had soon grown angry. Although they had promised to avoid working, Yama had taken a few to many phone calls for Sora's taste and by the time they had arrived at the beach house she hadn't been speaking to him. But Yamato had known her well, and after a few bites of crow he had been able to convince her to accompany him on a moonlight walk on the beach.

As he washed the shampoo out of his hair, his mind imagined the feeling of her hands running through his damp hair once more. But that had been a long time ago. The truth of the matter was that their relationship had consisted of two busy people juggling two very busy lives. It was hard to make a real relationship when you were hardly in the same time zone. Sure they had taken various weekend trips, but that was not the same as having someone greet you when you came home and hold you close at night. Even when they had managed to synch their schedules up, they had ended up passed out in a hotel room.

There had been good times though. Sora had always been able to show him that he might be worthy of feminine love. It had felt childish at first, but he had long since come to terms with the fact he wasn't completely sure his mother or any woman in his life truly loved him. But Sora, was different. She always had this way to remind him that someone cared. All he could claim that he offered in return was a few guitar lessons that never really got past the basic chords. Of course he had shown her that little _maneuver_ during their trip to Germany… but the was a very long time ago.

He pushed the romantic night out of his mind and wandered back into the bedroom. Luckily he had gotten a few pairs of clothes washed so he no longer had to borrow Tk's clothes. The absolute last thing he wanted to do was wear more of Takeru's, always a size to small, clothing. Sure the kid could write a good novel, but he seemed to lack the ability to shop.

Once he had pulled on a black t-shirt and his favorite ripped jeans, the boy grabbed a pack of cigarettes and padded downstairs to his sanctuary. He took up residence on the oldest lawn chair and took out the first cigarette. After lighting the item, he took a long drag and let the nicotine refuel his system. The cigarette was pushed to the non-injured side of his mouth, as he began to look through his phone contacts for Sora's number.

"Well," He mumbled as his eyes caught sight of her contact picture, "Here goes nothing…"

**XXXXXX**

"So, can you tell us about your new movie?" The man behind the desk stared at his guest with a large toothy grin.

"I can't tell you much," The bright-eyed girl answered with a small laugh. "The directors and producers would be very angry if I let out any secret information."

"Aww, but we won't tell. Will we?" The studio audience shouted out promises of secrecy as the host prompted them. "See? No one will say a thing."

"At least no one in this studio. I'm afraid I can't tell you about that one. But I do have something else that your audience may like."

The host grinned ever wider and pulled out a boxed DVD set from a shelf under his desk. "That is right. My lovely guest has been working in this industry since she was just a teenager. And her very first television show, _In the time of Nick_ is coming out on DVD and Blu-ray. The entire first season will be available in July, but everyone in the studio audience is going to receive an advanced copy." The audience chanted happily as the commercial warning light blinked overhead. "It looks like we are out of time. I'd like to thank my wonderful guest, Sora Takenouchi and wish all of you a good night!"

As the cameramen yelled cut and a barrage of makeup techs surrounded the host, Sora took her exit to the green room. The girl's agent greeted her with a thumbs up and a few words of encouragement as she entered. It seemed strange to Sora that every time she successfully completed a show, her agent acted as if she had performed a difficult trick. When you had been working the TV screen and movie screen for as long as she had, nothing fazed you. There was nothing the world of celebrities could throw at her that would surprise her. Her phone on the other hand, could still surprise her.

"Hello?" She picked the large device up and balanced it between her shoulder and ear.

"Sora… Hey."

"Yamato?" She exclaimed and blushed, as a few of the green room occupants looked her way. "Hang on." She ducked out of the room and ran to her private dressing room, praying he did not hang up the phone. "Yamato, is that really you? Are you all right? I've been so worried about you."

"I'm okay." His words were slow as if he was taking a breath between each one. "How are you?"

"Are you smoking?" She asked with disapproval in her tone.

_How did she always do that? _Yama wondered as he snubbed out his third cigarette of the afternoon. He cleared his throat and tried again, "No. I quit months ago, remember?"

"Yama, can we please stop playing this game? I'm worried about you."

"I'm sorry Sora." _For so many things_. "It's been a tough time."

"I'm just glad to hear our voice again. Are you in town? I just finished taping a show and have some free time if you want to get together."

"I'm not in town. I wanted to get out of the light for a bit."

"Did you go to your brothers?"

"How did you-"

"Yama, we have known each other for years and your brother is the only family member you ever talked about in a positive light."

"Forgot about that." He admitted and leaned back into his lawn chair before trying to shift the subject slightly, "I heard through the grapevine that you would be in my brother's town for a new movie."

"You mean that new Fujita project?" The girl sounded almost surprised that he had kept up with the entertainment world.

"Yeah. From what I heard a lot of the locations will be in town." At least he knew one was in town.

"I am actually flying out sometime tomorrow to get set up down there. We are scheduled to start filming a few scenes in the next week or so." Sora paused for a moment, swallowed back a slight nervousness that had crept in her throat, and reminded the boy in a heartfelt tone, "I would _really_ like to see you Yama."

He took a slow breath and tried to dissect what Sora was telling him. Had he truly meant that much to Sora? Sure they had been friends for years, but he had never really realized how deep that bond must be. Throughout his life, Yamato had always cared deeply for those in his life. Without blinking an eye he would take a bullet for Tk, Takato, Sora, and a select group of other people. But would someone really do the same for him? It seemed Sora might very well be that person. Now that he had someone returning the protective emotions, he wasn't quite sure how to handle it.

"If you aren't comfortable going alone," Sora piped up worried she had lost him in the silence, "You could bring your brother along or your nephew."

"They'd like that." He bit his injured lip, and then spat out nervously, "I'd like that… to see you that is."

"Great!" Sora cheered. In all honesty, she had held little hope in the idea of getting Yamato out of his new hiding spot. Although he would never admit it, the boy could be a little stubborn when he thought his presence would bring along negativity. If only she could make him realize that she was more than happy to have him bring a fire or flood if he would just let her hug him and see that he was in one piece. "I'll call you when I get into town and we can work out the details, okay?"

"Sure, Sora. That sounds good." Feeling he had already embarrassed himself, so there was no point in holding out, he added, "It will be really nice to see you again."

"I can't wait to see you again, Yama."

He hung up the phone and laid it on the patio table. Out of habit, he reached for the pack of cigarettes lying beside the phone. Before he pulled one from the carton he remembered Sora's disappointment and dropped the cancer pack on the table. How was he supposed to go through this without a smoke?


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

**Thank you to all my reviewers old and new. You are all amazing and I hope you have a good time reading this new chapter. :)**

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"Where is this place again?" Takeru asked for the fifth time, and tried to ignore the ring box pressing against his thigh in his left pants' pocket.

"I thought you boy's knew your way around this town blindfolded?" Kari giggled from the backseat and leaned over Tai's shoulder so she could look at the map.

"The town yes, this random stretch of countryside _outside _oftown, not so much." Tai turned the map around a few times as Kari pointed to various markings on the crumpled paper.

On the other side of the backseat, Yama sat in quiet contemplation. This day had approached far sooner then he thought it would. How many days had it been since Sora called to let him know she was officially in town? No more than three, probably. They had been the three quickest days of his life so far, minus a few concert events out of the country. But either way he was now on a dead set course to see the girl he so rudely vanished from.

"I hope they are prepared for rain." Tk looked up from the road to see the sky coated in angry grey clouds.

"No worries," Tai gently batted Hikari's hand from the map and stuffed the item in the glove compartment. "This is a mega multi million dollar movie set. I am sure they are prepared for flood or fire or anything nature could throw against them."

The Blonde raised a quizzical eyebrow as Tai asserted such faith in the movie industry. Yama had been on enough sets to know that no one was prepared for half of the things that would be thrown at them. He had seen quite a few movies be almost lost because of a stubborn actor or a complete natural disaster. As hearty as the public believed them to be, moviemakers were just as susceptible to bad luck. If not giant red targets for the ill-mannered spirits.

"You know," Yama tapped his brother on the shoulder, "You missed your turn a few feet back."

The group pulled into a large makeshift parking lot and seemed slightly annoyed that the boy had let their exit pass so easily. But it was hard to be angry as they exited the car and saw various techs and actors mingling around the environment. A general feeling of excitement filtered through the group as they whispered amongst each other. Yama remained in the car and adjusted the hood of his sweatshirt and sunglasses.

"You planning on stealing government secrets or meeting an old friend?" Tai teased as he opened the man's door.

"Just trying to keep a low profile." Yama answered with little emotion as he exited the car and led the group to a small guard station near the location perimeter. "Just let me do the talking."

"Name and purpose." The guard demanded as he eyed their group. He had sent away enough gawkers to have lost his patience with those not carrying set ID badges.

"Yuto Kazama." Yama stated without losing a moment of his calm and collected nature.

The guard looked down at his clipboard and made a note in red pen, before looking back up at them. "All right, you are on the list. Miss Takenouchi wished to meet you in her trailer. She is in number 3 on the left."

"Yama," Kari whispered into his ear as they moved away from the guard. "Who is that? That name."

"I always use it for hotel bookings and things like that. It is usually the only way the crowds can be kept away." Yamato answered the question, but kept most of his attention on his party members as they began to wander.

Although the trailer was only a few feet from the station, it took quite a bit of time to get the whole group to the spot. Each member of the group was distracted by the fast paced motion and ordered chaos surrounding them. Tk had spotted the writer's tent and tried to decide if he should go see if some of his old college buddies were inside. Taichi had located the stunt actor's practice grounds and was impressed to see them warm up by doing various flips and hand stands. The only person that stayed somewhat close to Yamato was Hikari. She knew exactly what she wanted to see, and Yama was the key to finding it.

"Is everyone here?" Yamato asked as he counted the group like he did the kindergartners at line up time. "Good. Now just relax and be yourselves. Sora is just like you and I."

**XXX**

The past few days had not gone by fast for Sora Takenouchi. In fact, she was almost certain that time had drifted backwards, and that she was probably running a good chance of meeting her past self. Well, maybe that was an over exaggeration, but there was a lot ridding on this meeting. She was terrified that if she didn't act correctly, he would run off to another secret location. And part of her wanted to know why he hadn't gone to her in his hour of need. Then again, maybe it was selfish to expect that much of him after such a traumatic event.

Sora adjusted the flowers in her favorite red vase for the hundredth time and let out a sigh. She had been cleaning the trailer since morning; due to the fact her scenes were being held back for weather reasons and she could not sit still for more than a minute due to nerves. It was amazing how many times something the size of a small hotel room could be cleaned. She hadn't put anything major in the trailer since she was booked to stay at the city's top hotel, but the few things she had placed inside had been dusted and cleaned to the point of insanity. Even her loyal bodyguard was staring at her with a quizzical eye.

"You already adjusted the flowers…"

"I know Maro…" The girl collapsed on her couch.

"Does anyone else know he is coming?"

"No." She shook her head adamantly. The last thing Yama needed was to be spotlighted by the public. There were tons of people looking for him, but none of them were people he wanted to meet. At least she figured he didn't want to meet anyone but her at the moment.

"I bet it will go fine." Maro stood from his position at the mini kitchen, and tried to weave his way to the couch without bumping his head on any of the ceiling fans. At six foot ten, the man was practically a giant next to his small client. His clothes were semi-casual and clung to the massive amount of muscles that coated his body. With one large hand, the boy patted Sora's shoulder and gained a smile from the worried female. "How about I go get you a drink? One of those flavored lemonades the caterer's talked so highly about?"

"That would be great. Thank you." She smiled as the man gave her shoulder another pat, and then headed out to the catering tent a few feet away. If there was anyone on her staff, that Sora trusted completely it was Maro. He had worked for her since she was a low budget actress. It had been Maro that had introduced her to Yama years ago. She had been willing to ignore the boy when they saw him singing in a hotel lobby, but Maro had convinced her that he was worth a second look.

A sudden knock on the door brought Sora back to reality. There was no way Maro could have completed the errand that quickly. Could it be? The girl jumped up from the tan couch and rushed to the door. She paused just a moment to adjust her blue blouse and skinny jeans, and then opened the door.

"Sora." Yamato stared at the girl through the dark shades covering his aqua eyes. "It has been a long time."

The secret spy garb Yamato was dressed in took her attention for a moment, but she snapped back quickly and gave the group a smile. "I am so glad you all could come. Please, come inside."

Once the entire group was ushered into the room, Sora went about her duty as hostess. She offered drinks and snacks and tried to make sure that everyone had a comfy spot to sit on. The task kept her nervous hands busy, but her eyes were often falling prey to wandering. Tk and Yamato were the only ones she could actually say she knew. Their guests were a complete mystery on the other hand. The red-eyed girl stuck close to Tk and seemed to be trying to get him to share her _almost_ silent excitement about being on a movie set. The mystery male spent his time lounging in the trailer's armchair and mumbling things to Yamato. For a second she wondered if they were paring off in couples to board the Ark. But that was silly; Yamato wasn't spending his time looking for some kind of romance. Though she had wondered before if he could possibly swing that way.

"Thank you so much for having us over." The brown haired girl spoke up in an excited voice and clutched her boy's arm.

"It's my pleasure." Sora sat down on the love seat next to Yamato and Tai, "I don't know many people here in town, so I am glad to have some company."

Yamato pulled the hood off of his head and perched the sunglasses on top of his blonde locks. His wounds had healed a little more, but there was still definite bruising along the side of his face as well as a scab on his bottom lip. Truthfully the lip would have been a little more healed then it was if the boy didn't continuously break it open by talking. The little annoyance had constantly giving him slight grief as he tried to eat and drink acidic foods or beverages.

"Yama," The girl stared in shock at her old friend's face, "What happened to you?"

"Ask Tai." The red-eyed girl added and glared a quick dagger at the tanned brunette.

"It was an accident, Kari." Tai mumbled under his breath and turned to the celebrity. "Yamato and I were playing soccer and, uh he might have gotten hit."

"Did you guys use his head as the ball?"

As Sora echoed Hikari's earlier accusation, both boys gave a small exhale of defeat. No matter how they spun the soccer tale, it seemed people were bound and determined to make it out to be a huge idiotic event. Didn't anyone realize you could get hurt in that sport? Tai's ankle seemed to be pretty good proof of the fact injuries and soccer did mix.

"No, I hit a goal post and the ball shot back." Yamato leaned back in his chair and wondered what his friend could be thinking. She seemed rather nervous, judging by her hand movements. It was as if Sora was waiting for the right moment to tell him something, but what?

"I guess we should be thankful that it wasn't worse. So, if I got this right…" Sora scrunched up her brow and pointed to each person in order. "You are Tai, Kari, and Tk?"

"You got it right." The smaller blonde gave her a sweet smile and absentmindedly rubbed his hand on his pants pocket.

Long before this day had been planned, Yamato had mentioned to Sora that his brother was trying to make a special proposal for his girlfriend. Personally, Sora thought it was sweet that he wanted to do something so special for his girlfriend. And if she hadn't been so preoccupied with the Yamato situation she probably would have loved to help plan the event. But for now she couldn't find the energy. Too much of her brain was focused on making sure she didn't let Yamato escape without talking to her.

"So Kari," She tried to put a little effort forth and entertain the bubbly girl, "How would you like a tour of the set?"

"Seriously?" The girl's smile grew over her pale cheeks and forced a contagious grin to spread throughout the trailer. "That would be amazing. Can we actually do that?"

"Sure. I bet I can even get one of the techs to give us a more informational tour."

Ten minutes later, a short boy with large wire rimmed glasses was ushering the group around the location. In true tour guide fashion, he offered them random facts about set pieces and stunts. At least, the eldest blonde thought the guy mentioned sets. Most of his attention was spent walking next to Sora and thinking about what he wanted to say. An apology wouldn't do him any good if he didn't think of a good way to word the speech.

"You know," Sora stepped closer to Yama as the rest of the group stepped up to the catering tent for free food. "I am not mad at you."

"How did you?" The boy looked at her in disbelief and wondered for a moment if she had acquired some type of mind reading ability.

"It isn't that hard." She giggled and placed a hand on his forearm, noting it was still muscular yet slightly thinner. "You have barely been able to look at me since you got here. I knew you were going to be a little out of sorts, but I didn't know you were going to be afraid of me."

"No one, fears a friend they have known for as long a time as I have known you. Well, at least not a deathly fear."

"Wanna know a secret?" She leaned closer to him and caught a whiff of his old cologne she loved so much. "I was scared you were mad at me."

"You?" Yamato laid his hand upon hers and squeezed it gently. "I would never be mad at you Sora."

"Excuse me," Maro butted into he conversation and greeted Yamato with a smile and two cups of flavored lemonade. "I believe you two are strawberry fans."

"Maro," A smile came over Yamato and he suddenly began to realize how much he had missed Sora and the rest of his old life. "I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Had to take some time off to take care of my mother, but other than that everything is great."

As the giant man handed the couple a pair of lemonades, Yama caught sight of the boy's scar. The jagged line on his right hand palm stretched from his wrist to the start of his index finger. Each time the Blonde had asked how the boy had received such a scar the man had told him a different tale. Of course, each tale had been more fanciful than the last, so Yamato had long since given up finding the answer to his question. The silliness of the scar situation was a perfect description of Maro's character. He always had a way of exuding a strangely cool and mysterious vibe. Sure he was friendly, but his years in security work had afforded him a multitude of stories.

"What happened to your face?" Maro tilted his head like a dog listening to a high-pitched noise.

"He played soccer with his face." Sora laughed and ruffled the musician's hair.

**XXX**

The movie set was definitely an epic experience, but it wasn't the highlight of Taichi's life. He was pretty sure it was one of the super high points of his baby sister's life though. The girl was completely thrilled, and it showed with each smile she threw his way. It was hard to believe that the woman in front of him was the same sickly girl he had played with in their childhood.

Unlike his sister, Yamato seemed nervous about their adventure to the set. Tai had watched him like a hawk as they lazed in the trailer and explored the set with their over talkative tour guide. What he couldn't understand, was why Yama wanted to spend so much time with the girl he had been so nervous to meet. He hadn't been able to sleep thinking about their trip, but there he was linking arms with her…

"You want anything?" Tk called to Tai as they sat at the little fold up tables and chairs near the catering tent.

"Huh?" Tai shook his head and offered Takeru a quick look, before turning back to Yama. "No thanks."

The confusion of the situation grew as Tai watched the girl giggle and ruffle Yamato's hair. Why didn't the boy seem upset that his hair was out of place? He had made such a metro fuss when Tai had snuck up behind him and messed up the perfectly styled locks a few weeks ago. But this time he just smiled at Sora and made her laugh with whatever he said.

For some reason, that he probably knew but didn't want to admit to, a small seed of jealousy began to take hold of his internal self. There was something about seeing the boy he found so fascinating relax and give his playful antics away to a different person that bothered him deeply. How could he be so comfortable with the girl that stressed him out, while he remained reserved with the boy who did nothing but offer him fun and adventure? And how could he stand there and wrap an arm around her shoulders?

Taichi had long since come to terms with his sexuality. He had known since childhood that he found boys much more attractive than girls, but it hadn't been till his teenage years that he had actually admitted it to anyone. That night Kari had found him sitting in his room, with a piece of paper documenting his plan to leave their home had been a painfully long time. With her support he had been able to find the courage to tell their parents and even some of his close friends. He could never repay his sister for her support, but he hoped that one day he could be there for her in her time of need. Taichi had indeed come to terms with his feelings about men, but he had never been able to come to terms with the fact the subjects of his feelings were often straight men.

"Playing bodyguard?" Kari laid a hand on her brother's shoulder and brought the boy's attention back to the catering tent.

Tai looked around and noted that Tk had wandered off, leaving his sister as the only other occupant. Where had the guy gone? And how long had Kari watched him observe Yamato? A tiny amount of embarrassment entered his system and caused him to nervously shift his seated position. Being caught in conspicuous situations always bothered the boy.

"Where is Tk?" He tried to push the subject away, but Kari seemed undaunted.

"He needed to go to the little boy's room." She broke their gaze and turned to Yama for a moment, than turned back to her brother. "You know, I won't push you for information. But I do want you to know that I am here for you Tai. If you want to tell me something or just talk, my door is always open."

Slowly, Taichi mulled over his baby sister's offer. Maybe it would be in his benefit to tell her what he had been thinking. Of course it would be easier to tell anyone his feelings and thoughts if he could figure them out in his own head first. "Do you think they are a… No, never mind. Forget that I asked."

"A couple?" Hikari ventured kindly and placed a hand on his arm.

"Yeah…"

"Well," Kari tried to think of a way to answer the boys question that would be truthful, yet considerate of Tai's possible feelings, "The tabloids have talked about their being a chance they are, but those are the same magazines who claimed Sora had an alien baby she hid away in Moscow. Are you curious for any particular reason?"

"I don't know," The boy ruffled his spikey hair and tried to focus on his shoes. "I guess… I might… I like him all right?"

"Aw, Tai. You would be so cute together. Oh, sorry…" She stopped her sisterly gushing when her brother greeted her with a less than enthused face. "So are you going to tell him? Have you already told him?"

"What happened to I won't pump you for information?"

"Come on nii-chan," She clasped her hands together and gave him a puppy eyed look, "I am just happy that you found someone who interests you."

"Yeah, but I don't interest him."

"Yes you do. You guys are always hanging out and spending time together."

"Like you and Mimi? As friends."

That one stumped Kari. She took a moment to try and re-gather her thoughts so she could defend her original position. There had to be a way Tai and Yama were different then Mimi and herself. Then again, the boys hadn't done anything that would signify a relationship more than friends. Or had they? "So you two _never_ did anything that would pass the friends line?"

"No… Well there was-"

"What? There was what?"

"Calm down Kari." Tai laughed softly and gave his sister a smile, which lifted both their spirits a little. "It wasn't anything big. There was an accidental kiss."

"A kiss?" She repeated and made her brother instantly regret letting her in on the secret.

"Hey guys," Yamato butted into the conversation as his group approached the siblings, "You want to go see a top secret part of the set?"

"Sure," Kari, unlike her older brother, bounced back into the real world with ease. "But shouldn't we wait for Tk?"

"I already sent the tour guide to fetch him." Yamato took Hikari's hand and tried to lead her away from the tent. "I promise you are going to like this place."

The group wandered to the other side of the set in silence. Each member was busily contemplating their own opinions on their current predicaments. The stresses of their individual challenges melted away as they entered a large building and were greeted by a set decorated to be an elegant mansion foray lit only by a multitude of white candles. In the center of the stage stood Takeru with a colorful bouquet of flowers in his hand. He flashed a tender smile at his girlfriend and motioned for her to step forward.

Hikari stood still, frozen in amazement at the beautiful environment her boyfriend had created. When had he been able to do this? Had he planned this the whole time? Could this be a sign of something more to come? "Takeru, this is so beautiful…"

"Go ahead," Sora gently nudged the girl forward and watched with a happy grin as the couple met in the center of the candles.

Takeru smiled at his lovely girlfriend and offered her the beautiful flowers. "There is something special about those."

"What is it?" Kari asked as she smelled the roses and let their fragrance embrace her.

"I love you Hikari. And I will always love you." He pulled a rose from the middle of the flowers up so it was sticking out. "I want you to know right now, in front of our friends and family that I will love you until the last rose in that bouquet dies."

She gently ran her finger over the exposed rose and was surprised to find it was made of cloth. "Till the last one fades?" She smiled catching on to his joke, and offered the boy a kiss.

"And with that promise of an undying love," Takeru bent down onto one knee and let himself fall happily into the romantic cheesiness of the moment, "I would like to ask you, Hikari Yagami, Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

As Tk's words worked their way into her heart and mind, Hikari felt tears well up in the corners of her eyes. In all honesty, she had somewhat assumed that they would get married someday, but she never would have imagined it would have come in this format. The beautiful setting, the introduction to her favorite celebrity, the whole thing was like some gorgeous fairytale. "Yes." She hugged Takeru as he rose from the ground and placed the ring on her finger. "Yes, I will marry you Takeru."

The three observers on the sidelines watched with happiness as the young couple agreed to the marriage. Sora cheered for them and clapped her hands happily, while the boys offered the couple smiles and silent wishes of good luck. Sure, it wasn't really a surprise to anyone but Kari, but the whole scene still felt pretty magical.

"Takato will be thrilled." Yama stepped forward and smiled as Kari offered him a friendly hug. "He always wanted to know when his daddy would get married to a certain lady."

Sora watched her old friend with tender eyes. This was the Yamato she remembered so fondly. The boy was smiling and offering words of happiness to those he cared about. The real Yamato was back. He had to be back. Because Sora knew all to well, that her feelings for the Blonde musician had never faded. She only prayed that he felt the same connection to her that she felt to him. They were meant to be… Weren't they?

* * *

**Hi guys! I just wanted to take a moment to mention that nii-chan means big brother for those of you who didn't know the term. Also, I am curious to see if any of you know what is special about Yama's fake name. Any guesses? :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. **

**Thanks to all my reviewers! And the answer to the Yama's fake name question is that his fake name is the name of his Japanese voice actor in the series. **

**Hope you guys enjoy this new chapter. Here we go:**

* * *

In honor of the newly engaged couple, Sora had tossed out the offer to take the entire group out to a lavish dinner at the best restaurant in town. A not so thrilled Yamato had shot down that plan pretty quickly. He knew very well that wherever Sora went, the paparazzi were soon to follow. Undaunted in her quest to keep Yama nearby, Sora proposed a new plan which entailed eating a fancy dinner in her hotel suite. The place was famous for it's French delicacies, so she might as well use their services. This new offer had fulfilled Yamato's safety requirement so he agreed.

Which is exactly how Taichi found himself in a pent house style hotel suite in the heart of the city. The entire place was about double the size of his apartment. How much money did this girl have anyway? Tai was no fool; he knew that people like Yamato and Sora were often paid well. But he had no idea just _how_ well they were paid. In the eyes of someone who fit snuggly in the middle class bracket it was kind of intimidating to be surrounded by such wealth. Of course Tai was not one to show a lack of courage, so he threw a smile on his face and straightened his posture.

"This place is beautiful." Kari waltzed around the main living area to examine each trinket, before returning to Takeru's side.

"Thank you." Sora ushered the couple over to a small ballerina statue. "This is my mother's favorite piece from the art show we attended before she left to visit some of our other relatives. I borrowed it from her to make this place seem a little more homey."

"Probably costs more than I make in a year…" The brunette male mumbled as he stood a few feet away from the group.

"Are these also from the show?" Tk tried to politely keep the conversation going by pointing out a few of the other statues around the ballerina.

"Oh, no. Those were a present from another artist I met in China named Ling Zheng."

She knew Ling Zheng? Taichi knew very little about the art world, but even the most uncultured art patrons had heard that name tossed around the news. Ling had created statues for the Japanese government officials that had become quite popular around Japan and the rest of Asia. The last news story Tai had heard on the subject had theorized that his works never went for under 100,000,000 yen! Yet Sora got multiple pieces for free?

"Bet they use dollars and euros for toilet paper in this place…" Internally the boy felt a small seed of resentment begin to take hold of him. How had he missed the fact that she had so much in common with Yamato? Both of them were famous, rich, and world travelers. The farthest Taichi had ever traveled was to his grandpa's farm about eight hours away from his home town. Was there a way to compete against someone like Sora? And if there was a way to do such a thing, how was he supposed to do it?

"You okay?" Yamato had broken away from the group to investigate Tai's sudden standoffish behavior. He placed a warm hand on the boy's shoulder and gave him a smile, though it forced a twinge from his sore lip.

"Sure. A little hungry but that's it." Both of the boy's laughed lightly and Taichi felt his mood lighten a little. There was no point in beating himself up now. Focusing on those things just ate at how much time he got to spend with Yama. "What are we having again?"

"I think she sent down for some sort of French food that Kari wanted to try."

A knock on the main door of the suite grabbed the duo's attention. Maro stuck his head into the room and alerted his client that the caterers had arrived. Once Sora gave the okay, a small group of uniformed hotel workers invaded the room and rushed to the dinning table. The tallest of the group began to place a silky tablecloth on the rectangle while his two shorter attendants placed the horde of food plates in their spots.

The entire process took only ten minutes and left everyone but Sora and Yama in a small stupor of wonder.

Tai broke his stupor first and walked up to the table so he could touch the beautiful tablecloth. His mind wandered back to the few family vacations he had taken as a child. They had been lucky if the hotel had offered a breakfast bar. Most of the time they had gone out for burgers or some kind of health food shop his mother chose. This place seemed like it was more than willing to do anything for its guests. The lobby probably had a free accountant to do your taxes and clip your nails.

"Isn't she going to pay them?" Tai whispered to Yama as the boy took a seat next to him.

"They will just put it on her bill. Maro will also give them a tip when they get out into the hall too."

Still feeling somewhat out of place, Tai tried to copy whatever movements he saw Yamato complete. Soon he had his napkin tucked onto his lap and his silverware adjusted to lay slightly angular. He noted that Sora took the seat at the head of the table, which put her in a diagonal position to Kari and Yama. Tk and Maro chose seats on the other side and seemed rather comfortable in the plush chairs. "This is nice." Slowly, a compliment for their hostess escaped Tai's lips.

"Thank you." Sora responded with a genuine smile on her face. As far as she was concerned, Tai was a good friend of Yama's and seemed like a nice guy. Those two reasons combined made him okay in her book. It made her happy to see him open up a little more. "I would like to offer a toast, to Takeru and Hikari. I hope your marriage is a beautiful experience that continues to become more and more wonderful as the years pass."

Everyone gave the young couple a smile, and then took a sip from their pre-filled champagne glasses.

"Have you thought about how you will tell your kids about the marriage Kari?" Tai asked and took another sip of his drink.

"You have a child too?" Sora asked as she eyed Kari. It was hard to imagine a woman as tiny as Kari making it through childbirth.

"She has close to thirty kids, actually." The brunette teased Kari with a playful smile on his face.

"Thirty…" Sora's eyes grew slightly wider as she tried to imagine anyone with that many infants.

"He means the kids I teach." Kari tried to explain quickly and began to search for a picture in her purse. "I teach one of the kindergarten classes at Hiroko Konishi Academy. Tk's son Takato is in my class, as is Yamato." She showed Sora a snapshot of Tk and his son at the boy's fourth birthday.

"Aw, he is so cute." Sora turned her gaze to Yama next and gave him a wink, "You trying to revisit your childhood buddy?"

"I work as an assistant." He followed Tai's lead and took a gulp of his drink.

"I've heard of that school." Sora nodded her head and tapped a finger on the tablecloth to help bring the memory back to her mind.

"You heard about our school? Did Yama tell you about it?"

The look of sweet surprise on Kari's face prompted Sora to grin happily as she began to explain her source of knowledge. "No, Yama hadn't mentioned the school. But a few of the director's kids and the producer's kids go there. They told me once that their kids love the school, but few of the parents are willing to volunteer."

"That is true." Kari admitted with a bit of disappointment in her voice. "The parents are all very generous with donating money, but they often have careers that are far to demanding to help out with the classes. That makes things like Theatre week very stressful."

"Theatre week?"

"Yes," Kari's face was beaming as she talked about her job with Sora, "Every year we have the kids work towards putting on a show for the parents and such. Each grade level gets together and works on creating costumes, learning lines, and everything else that goes into acting on the stage. The older kids are wonderful with taking their assignments and being ready to go by performance week, but the younger ones need a lot more help."

"Could you use more volunteers?" Sora asked inquisitively, missing Yama's slightly worried face.

"Actually, that would be wonderful. Between Yama, our theatre teacher Mimi, and myself it will be hard enough to keep all the kindergartners on track. I don't even know if the other kindergarten teacher will be in school by that time. She is getting pretty close to her due date. So having her kids and mine would be quite overwhelming for three adults."

"What show is your class doing?" Sora's excitement was starting to grow.

"This year we are doing _Kito, the Wolf Cub, saves the Enchanted Forest_."

Yamato wasn't sure what the scariest part of this conversation was. It seemed to be a tie between the look of sincere interest on Sora's face and the idea of helping the kids make costumes and scenery. He had a pretty good idea that the wheels in Sora's head were beginning to twirl as they tried desperately to find a way she could make time to volunteer. Why she cared so much about volunteering was beyond Yama. He refused to entertain the vain thought that his presence somehow influenced her decision to try and help.

Like clockwork, Sora's face lit up and she did exactly what Yamato thought she would, "I did that play in the second grade. If you'll have me, I would love to volunteer. I am sure that the producers won't mind. They have been trying to find a way to lengthen the filming time to see if they can catch another actor they wanted for a vilian."

That was her reason? Yamato stabbed what looked like a potato on his plate and wondered why the girl would make something like that up. The moviemakers would just film everything else and do that guy's scenes at a later date. Sora knew that no movie was shot in chronological order. Yet here she was, making up an excuse that she knew he could see through. But, the look on his tablemates' faces proved that none of them, minus Maro, realized the story was a bit fictitious.

"You really think you can squeeze in time to help? That would be great! The kids can learn about acting from a real actor. They will love that!"

"I love working with kids. It will be a blast." Sora smiled happily and joined Kari in a grin fest.

The men at the table looked at each other unsure why this was such a big deal. Each one had their own ideas on how such a combination had been created, and each idea was different then the other. Tai forced himself to try and ignore the reality Sora would get to spend a great deal of time with Yamato. Tk wondered if any of the kids in the class would actually know who this actress was. While Yama and Maro focused on the idea that Sora was going very out of her way to put herself next to a certain musician.

**XXX**

The students' youthful energy remained prominent as ever as Sora entered the primary grades rehearsal hall Monday morning. Each little body fidgeted with pent up excitement and curiosity as they ran around the large room. From the corner of her eye, Sora spotted the newly engaged teacher ushering children off the practice stage. It was somewhat nice to realize the kids were not stopping in their tracks to stare at her with open mouths, as their parents' would have. These children were blissfully unaware that she was famous, and the young woman enjoyed that immensely.

A tall brunette coated in a pink frock that seemed borderline Lady Gaga-esque, was immediately struck by Sora's entrance. She pranced over to the actress with a bright grin and couldn't help but let out a small excited squeal. Without waiting for any kind of permission, she took hold of Sora's hand and shook it enthusiastically. "I have been waiting for you to arrive. I could hardly believe it when Kari said you wanted to help out with our little production!"

"Well," Sora managed a smile as she wrangled her hand out of Mimi's grasp, "I do love working with kids. And I am glad to support the arts in school."

"Yes, yes, the arts are always first on the chopping block it seems" The twiggy girl nodded her head in a suddenly serious fashion before flipping back on the bubbly charm. "But at this school we pride ourselves in offering our students the best opportunities available. Everything from theatre to mime."

"Mime?"

"Everything." Mimi flashed a big toothy grin and placed a hand on Sora's back to lead her further into the room. "My name is Mimi Tachikawa, by the way. I am the head of the primary grades Fine Art program.

"Nice to meet you. I'm So-"

"Oh we definitely know who you are." Mimi turned her head to the back of the room, where Maro was waiting protectively. "Please feel free to come in too. Hikari mentioned that Sora would be bringing a guest."

Maro entered the room slowly and looked around at the crate paper covered walls. The entire place, minus the school's prominent seal at the Back of the auditorium was covered in a summer theme. Gently he fingered one of the textured beach scenes on the wall and smiled to himself. How long had it been since he had been surrounded by such colorful decorations?

"Are you a giant mister?"

Maro broke his concentration to glance downward at a small child watching him with intense brown eyes. She looked tiny compared to other children milling about the room. Even the girl's uniform appeared to be a size to large.

"_Are_ you a giant?" The child repeated with a brave face for one so small.

"Me?" Maro took a seat on one of the chairs against the wall and held out his open palm to the child. "I'm not sure. What does a giant look like?"

The small girl furrowed her brow as she tried to come up with an answer. Once she found herself a reasonable response, she placed her palm against Maro's, "Well, they are really really big and they like to stomp around."

"Are they nice?"

"Sometimes," The girl grasped Maro's large hand in her two tiny ones, "Are you a nice giant?"

"Juri," Yama broke into their moment, "It's time to take a seat on the circle rug. We need to start class."

"But I am playing with the giant. I bet he knows lots of stuff about fairies and trolls and stuff in our storybooks."

"Giant?" Yama raised a quizzical eyebrow and looked to Maro.

The man simply smiled gently and stood from his seat. Juri kept a tight hold of his hands and tried to pull him to their circle rug, where the rest of the class was impatiently waiting. Knowing the girl would put up a fuss, and that he would look like a nice guy if he went along with her, Maro followed the child to the rug and took a spot slightly behind the class. As he settled onto the floor he could feel Yama's blue orbs still watching him in wonder from behind.

Yamato did in fact watch Juri happily pull her captive to the circle rug. He had never pictured Maro as such a good sport. Then again, the boy had a way of charming adults with ease, so he probably could charm children just as quickly. Though Sora had never admitted it, Yama was pretty sure it had been Maro's charming words that had convinced her to give Yama a chance with her agent.

Once the introductions to acting and music where over Mimi put the kids into groups. To help keep the chaos level down, she put an adult in front of each group to take charge. Sora's group was labeled the Magic Forest Fairy group, much to the displeasure of some of the male members. Mimi explained briefly to the slowly growing overwhelmed Sora, that her fairies would be the magical protectors of the forest. The kids would get to sing, dance, act, and eventually be saved by one of the forest animals. Some of the boys still seemed uninspired by their mission for the play, so Sora tried to think of a way to make the Fairy group a little more action packed.

A few feet over, she spotted Yamato's group and overheard Mimi tell him that he was going to be in charge of the forest creatures. Just as in Sora's group, a few of the kids surrounding Yama were instantly displeased with their play assignment. They took to staring longingly at the Fairy group or one of the other options. Surprisingly, Yama seemed to handle the disappointed and the excited children easily. He gave each of his kids a smile and tried to offer some words of encouragement. When had the boy acquired that skill? The last time Sora had seen Yama with a child, he had passed the infant to her the moment it started crying.

While Mimi put together the last two groups, which Sora understood to be Hikari's Evil Troll group and Mimi's Foliage group, the actress spotted a familiar looking boy sneaking into the rehearsal hall. She knew from the dinner party that Taichi worked at the school. But she could have sworn he worked with the athletics' program and not the fine arts' program. Why would he show up in the middle of class? And why was he slowly trying to slink over to Yamato?

"Taichi!" Mimi spotted the boy like a hawk spotting a tasty mouse. She waltzed over to him and completely missed the look of embarrassment that passed over the man's face. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Oh, hi Mimi." The brunette adjusted his posture and put on a nervous smile. "Just wanted to see how the show was going during my free period. Looks like you have plenty of help-"

"Oh, Tai!" Mimi grabbed his hand and gushed with the same energy she had used on Sora earlier. "We always have room for more volunteers. So don't you worry about not getting a spot."

"But I wasn't worr-"

"Nonsense, I know you want to help. No reason in hiding it." She pulled him over to Sora's group, and Sora caught the boy glancing at Yama instead. "You will be a great help to Sora's Fairy group. She is the only one the kids don't know very well so you can help her learn their names and such."

"Fairy group?" Tai repeated with little enthusiasm.

"Welcome to team Fairy." Sora offered the boy a playful smile as Mimi ignored his statement and bounded off to the front of the room.

The next item on the agenda was helping the kids go through a read through of the script. And since none of them were proficient enough to handle even a Dr. Seuss book, the read through mainly consisted of the adults telling specific kids in their group what to say or do. Takato, the strongest reader of the class thanks to his novelist father, was the only child who had the ability to read a few words in the script. This skill quickly earned him the title role of Kito the wolf pup. Sora managed to clap for the excited child, but her attention was mainly focused on Taichi.

Although the boy had given her a smile in return earlier, he had spent most of the read through avoiding her gaze completely. Personally, Sora was beginning to wonder if she had some sort of highly contagious cootie disease. For each time their eyes happened to meet, he would nervously look away and shift his body to lessen the chance of another encounter. Taichi had seemed so much friendlier at their dinner party. It was like he was embarrassed by her or disliked her all of a sudden. He was acting no different then the little boys in their group, who bothered the girls and then smiled happily when the other child gave them some attention.

_Wait, _her subconscious tried to halt the sudden idea that grew in her head, _Just because he is nervous doesn't mean he childishly likes me. _Sora had never considered herself vain or anything of the sort, but she had learned that being a celebrity often came with superficial admiration from those she encountered. Of course, most of those crushes had been expressed by the fan admitting their deep and true love when they met her backstage, at coffee houses, or anywhere else they happened to see her.

Sora gave Taichi another glance and spotted his ever-nervous eyes as he quickly looked away. _Poor boy_, she thought and bit her lower lip out of habit, _I had no idea he possibly felt that way. _She knew very little about Tai, but Sora was well aware of the fact he was currently one of Yama's closest friends. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt the boy. It would be so awkward to start her relationship with Yama again while Tai was possibly pining away. If he did have feelings for her, she was just going to have to find a gentle way to tell him that she was flattered but not interested.

**XXX**

How had he ended up sitting in the middle of the fairy group next to the woman who was possibly going to run away with the man he admired? As brave as he was, the boy felt slightly shaken by Sora's presence. He had faced tons of players in soccer who were bigger or more skilled with courage, but this was love and it was only similar to war not sports. Each time he looked over his shoulder at Sora she met him with a strangly sympathetic gaze. Tai had seen that look before but it had been directed at a hurt puppy and not him. Did she know that he had feelings for Yama and knew it was fruitless? How would she know something like that though? Hikari would never tell anyone, even her favorite actress, that her brother had shared something so personal. That left Yama to be the news bearer. Could the blonde have figured him out already? He glanced nervously at Sora and saw the girl bite her lip in addition to the hurt puppy look. _This is definitely a bad sign_, Tai thought as he adjusted his position on the floor and tried to think of a way to get out of this with some dignity.

"Now," Mimi clapped her hands together loudly to gain the attention of the children and adults in the room. "Our forest fairies need to be light on their feet. So we are going to practice dances that will allow you to flutter and flit like a leaf in the wind."

"How do you act like a leaf? They don't do nothing." One of the chubbier boys in the fairy group asked in the middle of Mimi's speech.

"I will teach you to dance in a wonderful style called ballet." Mimi answered without annoyance for being interrupted.

A few of the boy's in the room groaned, but Tai spotted a few others who seemed slightly curious and possibly excited. He also noted that Sora seemed to be holding a strangely amused grin on her face. "Are you an ex-ballerina?"

"Not me." Sora whispered back and unfortunately gave Yama a tiny glance, before turning back to Tai. "I just know someone who used to be quite the ballet star."

"You took ballet?" Tai asked Yama in a much to loud voice.

Across the room, the blonde blushed in surprise and tried to stammer out a response. Kari shot her brother a slightly disappointed look, as Yama's embarrassment level seemed to rise. The crimson-cheeked boy eyed the now guilty looking couple in disbelief. Sora and Tai had been sitting together for just a few minutes and they were already telling his secrets? This was going to be a very long volunteer job.

"You know ballet?" Mimi pounced on the boy like a hawk on a mouse.

"I lost a bet…" Yama mumbled under his breath.

Not grasping the concept of shutting his trap before he got in more trouble, Tai leaned over to Sora and whispered somewhat loudly, "Must have been some bet."

"Oh, it was." Sora responded in an equally loud whisper before Yama shot them a look that could shut up even the most active talker.

"This is great! You can help me teach the boy's their moves. Come on up and we can show the kids a demo. You know how to do a ballet lift right?" Mimi reached out and grabbed hold of Yamato's warm hands to pull him onto the practice stage.

A small panic began to creep into Yamato's stomach as he imagined dancing ballet in public. The last time he had attempted a lift, the ballerina had crashed into him and they both ended up bruised. And now he was going to have to relive that in front of a room full of kids. There was no way he was going to survive this school if Sora told Tai and the entire kindergarten class all of his embarrassing secrets. He glanced over to the now guilty looking couple before stepping onto the stage and made a mental note to explain the art of secret keeping to them later.

**XXX**

While Sora and Tai seemed to lack the ability to keep secrets, they were more than happy to jump on the ability to give Yama some space. The boy appreciated the time to himself, especially after dropping the theater teacher in front of the entire class. At least the nurse had promised Mimi wasn't injured. And he had gotten to meet the schools computer guy and official doctor through the experience. Those two had been an interesting sight as they fussed continuously over Mimi in the exam room.

As they entered the house, Takato took off at full speed to find his father and undoubtedly explain that Yama could not dance to save his life. The blonde stumbled to the kitchen and popped a few painkillers before sifting through the mail stack Tk had placed on the counter. The first few bills were tossed haphazardly aside, but midway through the stack a letter caught the boy's eyes.

Yama picked it up, rubbed his thumb over the typed name, and wondered if this was some kind of joke. With shaking hands the young man tore off the edge of the envelope and dared to look once at the letter's contents. Very little was written on the paper, but it was still able to jerk his stomach into such a knot that he dropped the paper and clutched the kitchen sink afraid he would vomit at any minute. He had hoped so hard that this mess had been left in his past. But it seemed that they had found him once again.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

**Thank you all for your nice reviews and for reading the story! I hope you all enjoy this new chapter.**

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"I miss you… D… Dov… Dove."

Yamato's hands gripped the cold metal covering the sink with a new intensity. His stomach gave a jerk and he came close to letting out far more than a dry heave. The lights in the room appeared to flicker as he quickly wiped his eyes in a vain attempt to wake up from this nightmare.

"I got it Oji!" Takato clutched the letter in his small hands and repeated the first line. "I miss you Dove. That is what it says Oji. I read it all by myself!"

Unable to respond, Yama snatched the letter from the child and rushed up the stairs. It was hard to focus on any one thing in specific, with his brain rambling around in such a disorganized state. But out of the corner of his eye he was able to catch a quick glimpse of a confused looking Takato. The look sent a sting of guilt to Yama, but he could not stop and comfort the boy.

Once he reached his room, Yama locked his door and rushed to the bathroom. With shaking hands he grasped the porcelain toilet and let his stomach finish its flip-flop session. A few tears escaped the corners of his eyes as his face scrunched up in discomfort.

"Yama?" Tk knocked gently on the front door of the room. "You okay?"

The musician pulled himself from the bathroom floor and plopped down on the wooden floor of the main room so his back could rest against the bed frame.

"Oji." Takato banged on the door, "You okay Oji? I won't read no more!"

"We'll give you some space Yamato. If you need us, we'll be downstairs." Tk knew his brother well enough to know that sometimes Yamato needed to be alone with his thoughts. He just wished he knew what prompted this sudden need to be alone.

When he was finally left alone, the musician reached under his bed. With shaking hands he grabbed a pair of boxes and slid them out. The two shoeboxes looked like normal red and blue cardboard items, but they were able to bring a sharp intake of breath from Yamato's frozen lungs. Even after a month or so of ignoring their existence, they could still affect him deeply. Slowly, he opened their lids and braved a look at the contents.

Inside the shoeboxes was a multitude of letters written on the same crisp white paper as the new letter. Just the sight of the letters threatened to send Yama's stomach on another roller coaster adventure. But the boy forced down the threat of bile and tried to act in as brave a manner as he could muster. He still needed to read the new letter. He hadn't gotten any further on the item than his nephew had, and he couldn't afford to ignore this one.

Yamato glanced a few feet away and saw the paper lying innocently on the floor of the room. The document seemed to stare at his very soul, sending tiny slivers of ice through his veins. How could one letter turn him into a coward? But this wasn't just a simple parcel. No, it was a piece of the hundreds and hundreds of letters he had been receiving for far to long.

"I have to read it…" He mumbled and bit down hard on his bottom lip. The pain came in small bursts, but it did not bother him this time. As long as he felt the pain in his lip he felt grounded to the real world. He grabbed the letter quickly and held it so tightly his knuckles turned white and the paper threatened to rip down the middle.

"I miss you Dove." His voice was shaky and soft as he scanned the typed letters. "You have been so naughty, telling people our secrets and running away. But don't worry, I'm back now." Unable to look at the writing any longer, the boy dropped the letter into one of the shoeboxes and closed the lid.

He covered his face with calloused hands and tried to take slow deep breaths. This whole thing had started out so simple! The first letter had arrived intermixed with thousands of other fan letters. It had stuck out from the usual gushy letters due to its simplicity. Instead of asking questions or complimenting his music, all the paper had written on it was, _Hi Dove_. At the time, Yama had just assumed it was some stupid joke from one of his band mates. But as his fame had begun to rise, so did the mysterious letters.

Suddenly they had become a more frequent addition to his mail. Like their consistency, their contents also changed. First it was silly things like asking about how he liked the weather or what his favorite flavor of ice cream was. It had seemed rather silly to send questions and never offer a return address. Of course the letters always embraced the strange and senseless realm. Besides, the randomness of the letters had made it easier to pretend they were meaningless items.

Then the requests had started. He could still remember opening that first demanding note. As per usual, the request had seemed like a ridiculous idea, _Dove wear that blue shirt I like tonight. I'll be watching_. He had completely blown off the letter and opted to wear one of his favorite black shirts for the concert.

But that next morning he had received a new type of letter. An angry letter. His mysterious pen pal had chosen to include a picture of him standing on stage in the black shirt. He or she had taken a blue sharpie and drawn a big no symbol over his t-shirt. All they had wrote on the paper was, _You did not listen Dove. Do you know how that makes me feel? I'll give you a chance to try again_.

At first Yama had been angry. Who was this crazy person to try and boss him around? For over twenty-six years he had been taking care of himself and making his own choices. Heck, he had ben more of a father to his own father then the overworked man had been to him. There was no way he was going to bend to some anonymous fan that mailed him a photo he probably got off the Internet.

The initial anger began to give way to a much more raw emotion when the next few months rolled slowly by. Unlike the first few mostly innocent letters, this new batch had begun to grow seedier. Although he had trouble remembering family birthdays and a few concert dates, Yamato could still recall with perfect accuracy some of the next few letter's contents.

_You looked so good last night Dove. I'm so proud of you for wearing the correct shirt. Isn't it easier when you listen to me? I don't want to have to punish you._

_Don't play this game with me Dove! You know better than to ignore my letters. Remember I am watching you. I know what is best for you._

_Naughty Boy. I told you __not__ to do such things with those dirty actresses. I can't have you not listening to me. I need you to be good Dove. Only good Dove's get saved._

This particular letter had forced Yama into a new level of emotions because of its added photo. It wasn't strange for the pen pal to add photos of Yamato, but they had never put one of Sora and himself kissing before. Especially not one with a red no symbol drawn over Sora's head. How had they gotten that photo? It had just been a random joke Sora had talked him into. The only one who had a copy was Sora and himself, as far as he knew.

Yamato had never been the type to back down from a threat against someone he cares about. So he had decided to create his own plan of action. If this sicko liked him reading the letters so much, he would just stop reading. Surly that would stop whatever sick thrill this person got from sending his letters. In no time the mysterious writer would get bored and stop.

Through the following week, he had remained good on his promise of ignoring the letters as they were piled up in his agent's inbox. Each time one of the unmarked envelopes made its way to him, he had simply tossed it into the shoebox and went on with his day. If he could just wait out the writer he knew he would be home free. At least, he would have been if the letters had not found his home.

Until that day, the letters had all gone through the normal fan mail route. This route included being sent to his agent created fan address and then being delivered to him in a few bags at the studio. There had rarely been a time when he hadn't left the place with at least two bags of fan mail. But on that faithful Sunday night a surprise had been attached to his front door.

The simple piece of paper had stated very little as usual, _I don't want to do this Dove. But you leave me no choice. You have to be punished_.

That letter had shaken Yamato far more than he liked to admit. It was one thing to get this junk at an address anyone could locate online, but it was a completely different thing to have a creepy letter tapped to his front door. How could someone have even pulled that kind of stunt off? They would have had to get over his fence and past his entire security system! If his house wasn't safe then where in the world was? How could he outrun someone who knew this much already?

The next chain of events were still cemented in Yama's brain allowing him to live the incident over and over again. His phone had rang and he been unable to convince a worried Miyako that he was all right. She had tried to convince him to join her for a meal, but he had refused the invitation till she agreed he could take his own car and they would eat somewhere very public. He hoped the crowds of people would be a wonderfully needed deterrent to the creeper.

In the back both of the chosen restaurant, Yama had bared his soul to Miyako. By the time the last sentence had left his lips, the girl's hand shot across the table and squeezed his tightly. He had brought a few of the letters to show her; on the rare chance the girl had not believed his tale. She had skimmed a few of the pieces of paper then went back to holding Yama's left hand.

"Yama, why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" In her other hand the girl had clutched some of the photos the stalker sent. "Was this why you have been so standoffish? You've been trying to handle this on your own?"

"I didn't see it as anything to handle… They were just letters." He mumbled to try and calm his heart.

"Yamato." Her ever-protective eyes had watched him with a new level of ferocity. "These are not just letters. These are threats, demands, and serious invasions of privacy from a stalker. You know you need to tell the police. They can help you."

"Help?" Yamato's stress funneled through an increasing voice volume. "I don't know much about this whole stalking thing, but I do know the police piss this person off. He has mentioned that in quite a few of these little notes. There is no way I can go to the police and not piss off the person who is probably waiting inside my house to jump me."

"Calm down Yamato…"

"Calm down?" The boy pulled his hands from her's and stood up so quickly the table jerked. After being quiet for so long about the letters, his mind had relished the ability to finally express how upset he truly was. "How can I calm down? How can I calm down when some whack job wants to take me away in some twisted Romeo and Juliet plan?"

"Romeo and Juliet?"

"Letter thirty five," The boy had slowly noticed quite a few people staring at him and sat back down in the booth. "He or she really likes the star crossed lovers idea…"

"Yama please," Miyako's voice was so desperate that night that it still sent shiver's down his back to recall the sound. "If you won't go to the police for your own safety, then go for Sora's and your families safety."

"What?"

"It is pretty obvious that he doesn't like Sora, your friends, or…"

"You?" The picture of Miyako's face with a red no sign on it caught Yama's eye.

"Yes. They don't seem to like me either." She had softly touched his cheek before pulling her hand away and trying to regain herself. "So if you won't get yourself protection… think of it as getting protection for everyone in your life that you care about."

"Okay Miyako, I will go to the police."

"Good. We can have lunch tomorrow and you can tell me all about it. Or if you want I can go with you?" The boy had turned down that idea quickly for fear he would be picked off before he even reached the station. "Well, feel free to call me or my family if you need anything tonight. Or you can call Sora. I know she would love to hear from you."

"Sora?"

"She is worried about you. We all are. This whole standoffish behavior thing isn't like you."

"Thought I was the Lone Wolf."

Miyako had graced him with a musical laugh at that reply; a laugh he didn't realize would be his last from her for quite a while. "A Lone wolf with a heart of gold. Promise you'll call if something happens?"

"I promise." He could still remember the out of character hug they shared as she exited the restaurant.

"I have to get going. And I think I know the answer to this, but I am going to ask anyway. Are you sure you don't want to stay with me tonight?"

"Nah, I'm going to stay low. Probably some motel in town." He remembered being scared to even admit that casual statement about his future location in public.

"Okay, stay safe Yama. We all love you."

Those words had stuck with Yamato from that night so long ago to the present. He felt so bad that not once had he realized that by avoiding the police he was placing the people he loved in danger. All that time he had spent considering his options he had only focused on himself…

Looking back on it now, he knew that there was no way he would have been able to convince himself to do something different. All the wonderful ideas Miyako had placed in his head had ben shot when he found the note on the passenger seat of his car. Once again his stalker had been able to burst his bubble with a simple photo and a seven-line letter.

_Oh, Dove. What shall I do with you, Dove? I can't have you telling people about our secret affair. That is not romantic is it? You care so much about people; I know you will do the right thing. You are far too noble to let anyone get hurt or worse... Aren't you Dove?_

Of all the letters he had received, that one had definitely been the worst. The threat shrouded in a shadowy fog and the picture of his agent exiting the restaurant with a sharpie colored noose around her neck was too much to handle. If he called the police who knows what this man would do to Miyako. For all he knew the sicko could have been following her home as he read the letter. What if they already knew where she lived? It was pretty obvious they knew how to track him without leaving a trace. What would stop them from hurting Miyako after he told the police? Promise, or not… He couldn't go to the police. There was no way he could risk this obviously present threat.

With his choice made, the boy had hidden out in a local hotel until that faithful lunch with Miyako. She had been so angry with him for not going to the cops. He could still remember the fire in her eyes, as she demanded they go to the cops at that very moment. Of course, they had never made it out of the parking lot. The last thing he had heard from his agent, his friend, was disappointment in him. Justified disappointment at that.

Yamato's eyes shot open and he felt his brain come back to the present. For a moment he feared he would be sick again, but even that action would require far more strength than he had left to give. To keep himself grounded once more, he bit his injured lip and stared at the box containing the newest letter. How could he have been so stupid to run away to Tk's home? How had he not realized staying there was a threat to his brother and nephew? Damn, how selfish could he be?

"Oji…" Takato knocked on the door and whimpered out a few words. "Daddy said you need space and time. Have you gotten enough now?"

"Tak?" Yama cleared his throat and shoved the boxes under his bed, before unlocking his door and being captured by Takato's small arms.

"I'm sorry Oji." The child sniffled ever so softly and hid his face in his uncle's pant leg.

"Sorry? For what Bud?" Yama picked up his nephew and cuddled the child close to his chest. A small comfort spread over his tired body as Takato wrapped his arms protectively around the blonde's neck.

"For trying to read the paper you had… and making you sad."

"Tak," Yama lifted his chin up with a finger and gave him a small grin. "You could never make me sad. I love you and will do anything to keep you safe."

"Anything?" The boy's eyes grew wide with childish wonder.

"Anything."

Takato wrapped his arms around Yamato's neck once more and whispered into his uncle's ear, "I love you too Oji. I hope you always stay with me and Daddy."

_I will try Tak… But I don't know if I can stay anywhere now_, Yama thought and hugged the child back, needing the comfort and safety of a hug just as desperately as the five year old did.

**XXX**

There were many things Taichi had never expected to see or do in his lifetime. Among them was controlling a group of fairy children, helping plan his baby sister's wedding shower, and elbowing with world-class celebrities. But the top of the unexpected list definitely was spending more time with Sora than Yamato.

The only reason he had agreed to help with this production was the chance to spend time with Yama… and possibly spy on his competition. Four days later and he knew far more than he ever needed to about Sora and had spoken to Yama about two times. All his volunteer stint included now was fighting with Sora over stupid problems that apparently needed to be rehashed everyday.

"Why do you want to put the kids in hats?" Tai grumbled as their group played aimlessly around the room.

"It wouldn't hurt the _forest_ fairies to have leafy hats." Sora with leaves in hand placed her fists on her hips and stared back at Tai.

"And who has to make all these hats?" Taichi held up his lightly bandaged hands for Sora to view. "You do realize we are working with kindergarteners right? So every project you add falls on our laps to complete."

"The point of this project is to teach them to make these things on their own."

"Oh yes, let's teach the five-year-olds to play with needles and leaves!"

"Is everything okay here?" Koushiro interrupted the fight; he had been able to hear from halfway across the room next to the broken stage equipment.

"Fine." The two grumbled in unison.

"So the kids are supposed to have the sewing equipment out?"

Sora glanced up and spotted two boys playing toss with the pincushion. She took off too quickly to hear Taichi call out a very righteous feeling, "Told you so!"

"That might not be the best idea." The red head placed his computer on the clear part of the table and typed in a few key words.

"What isn't the best what?" Tai relaxed slightly on a wooden stool next to the table and tried to count how many Band-Aids were now covering his fingers from sewing needle pricks.

"If you want Yamato to get close to you, you might need to be nicer to his friend."

"Who said I wanted him close to me?"

The other man watched Tai with understanding eyes. Without Tai having said a word Koushiro had been able to deduce something was going on. Call it, friend intuition. He had watched Tai skirt around the subject of why he never really dated long enough to know that there was probably an answer Tai didn't feel comfortable sharing. And now he was willing to bet that the answer to the dating mystery had something to do with Yamato.

"No one said anything. I just made a logical assumption." Koushiro kept a cool head, as Tai seemed to be growing slowly stressed. "And I want you to know that if you do _want _him near you. It's okay. It doesn't make you any less Tai."

The brunette chuckled as his friend's acceptance of him sunk in. He had always assumed the red head would be okay with the news. He had just never found the right moment to say anything. It had never felt like something you just blurt out in the middle of dinner or during a sporting event.

"Thanks. But I highly doubt he will be coming anywhere near me, so we don't really have to worry about that."

"Well, you just have to find a logical way to get near him." The smaller boy's interest was beginning to peak as the situation turned into a logic game instead of love gossip.

"Isn't playing fairy king enough?"

"Is Yamato coming near you?" Tai sighed and stole a glance across the room at the blonde, prompting Koushiro to continue, "What about a date?"

"Eh… that might work if he does swing that way."

"You don't know if he even likes guys? What did you two do all those times you went out for drinks and food instead of going out with the rest of us? Weren't those dates?"

"We got food and just talked."

"That sounds like the basic core of a date." The younger male shrugged and typed a few more things into his computer.

"Yeah, but don't most dates involve both people agreeing it is a date?"

"Take him for fried rice."

"Why fried rice?" Tai blinked wondering if his friend's statement was to smart for him or if it really was as random as it sounded. One could never be sure when talking to Koushiro, at least Tai had never been sure.

"This article says it is his favorite. He particularly likes the kind with chicken and teriyaki flavoring."

"Are you telling me there is a whole website devoted to Yamato?" The boy hopped off his stool and darted around the table to stand behind the redhead.

"How did you not know that there are millions of fan sites devoted to him?" The computer owner turned off the screen, just as Tai's eyes reached a question about boxers or briefs. "Besides, isn't this information you would rather find out from Yamato in person?"

"Think about it," Tai kept his eyes on the power button, "Don't we owe our college professors to use the research techniques they taught us in college as graduated adults?"

Koushiro snickered at this explanation and shook his head, "What you owe your professors' is apologies for snoring in class every morning."

"Hey, who doesn't snore in an 8 am class?" Tai offered the boy a large set of puppy dog eyes and clasped his hands together as if he was going to beg for food. "Come on pal, I need this. I'm competing against someone who has known Yama for years. I need some kind of ace in the hole."

"All right. But I warn you Taichi, not everything you read on those fan websites is true." The boy pushed his computer over a few inches so Tai could examine the web page. "By the way, the graveling was a nice touch but I figure I should remind you that you can find these websites on any machine connected to the Internet."

_Now he reminds me_, Tai laughed nervously and tried to ignore the giddy grin on Koushiro's face.

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**Hey guys and gals, just wanted to say sorry if Yama's section confused you. My brain and grammar were battling during that section. Hope it wasn't to crazy for you. :) Have a great day! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

**Hi everybody, hope you enjoy the new chapter! :) And a special shout out to all my readers and reviewers who totally rock my socks off!**

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By the time school was let out for the day, the sky had been covered in angry grey clouds that were currently trying to drown the city. Taichi had spotted Yamato dawdling inside Hikari's classroom and knew this was the perfect time to launch his plan. A reliable source, namely Kari, had told him that Takato and TK were going out to dinner with her and would be out most of the night. So as long as Sora stayed away, that would leave Yama free and clear to hang out with him. He had no idea why Yamato was loitering around the classroom instead of rushing off, but he was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Hey Yamato!" Tai called out to the boy as the man locked the classroom door behind him then jumped in surprise.

"Taichi…" Yama tried to catch his breath and shrugged on his trench coat, "I didn't see you there."

"That's my ninja skills in action." He laughed happily but felt his ego dip downward when Yama merely gave him a small smile. "So, what are you up to tonight? Want to get a bite to eat with me?"

The blonde paused and seemed to take forever to make a decision. Did he realize that drove Tai crazy? Each second seemed to tick by slower than the last as the musician took his sweet time to state a simple yes or no. Surely, dinner couldn't be that hard to think about!

"I don't know Tai…"

Each word pushed the boy's ego further and further downward. Maybe he had jinxed himself by wishing Yama would answer more quickly? He kept a grin on his face and followed the man out to the covered faculty parking lot. At least Tai thought it had once been a parking lot. With the current summer storm blowing full blast, the place looked more like an animal free swamp.

He remained stationed on the sidewalk, while Yama sloshed to his car and examined his front left tire. Even from his spot a few feet away, Tai could tell the tire was out of commission. The sight forced a frown on Yama's face, but a happy prayer out of the brunette. He knew there had to be a reason he hadn't gone to buy a tire after using his last one a week ago. It wasn't procrastination it was fate.

"Want a lift?" This time Yama gave a solemn head nod of agreement

Ten minutes later, Taichi and Yama were trying to make a path through the flooded streets. Each route Tai knew was blocked by at least a foot or more of rushing water. It had been a long time since the city had received such a shower, and most of the water was being pushed into the roadways since the parched ground lacked the ability to absorb it fully. The sloshing of the water and light purr of the car engine were a welcomed set of noises though. They kept the brunette from letting his mind wander to far ahead. Not to mention they cut through some of the silent tension.

"I don't think I can get you to your house just yet." Tai backed his car away from the last possible road choice and began the drive to his apartment. "You are more than welcome to stay at my place till the storm clears."

"That is nice of you Tai, but I don't want to be a bother. I could walk through some water if you can drop me off on one of the nearby roads."

He raised an eyebrow as Tai pulled into an apartment complex. Was this where the boy lived? As Yama stared out the window a loud clap of thunder and flash of lighting hit the city, illuminating a tall man running out to a car in the parking lot. Yamato jumped in his seat and had to force his heart to stop pounding as the man rolled up his car windows then ran back to his place.

"Are you okay?"

"Just don't care for thunder." Yama lied.

"This storm isn't going anywhere soon. Please come up with me. I promise I'll give you a ride when it lets up. But it isn't safe to let you go out in this now."

"Okay," The boy relented slowly and followed Taichi up to his apartment.

When the brunette opened the door to his apartment, Yama's eyes widened slightly. If ever there was a definition of _man cave_, it was Taichi's home. A large leather couch and recliner greeted the boy's in the front living room. The large cowhide pieces were positioned to offer the best possible viewpoint of the television. In fact, it seemed everything from the small foosball table to the chairs at the breakfast bar counter were tilted to stare at the television. On the breakfast counter Yama was able to count about five different types of cereal boxes, including the sugar coated Digimon stuff Takato loved.

"Well this is home sweet home!" Tai explained cheerfully while his foot tried to hide a few pieces of dirty laundry under the couch.

"It's nice." Yama wandered around the room staring at the various movie posters and soccer memorabilia covering the walls.

"That," Tai pointed to a framed jersey near his prized big screen TV. "Is the jersey my team gave me when we got close to the Olympics. By the way, are you hungry? I make a mean grilled cheese you know."

**XXX**

Yamato sat in stunned silence on Taichi's couch as the boy continued his grilled cheese massacre. The boy had never seen someone make it past three sandwiches in one sitting, but Tai was just about to finish his fifth one. Where could it possibly go in that muscular body? At least the man would never have to worry about brittle bones. He probably had enough calcium in that bod to keep a whole retirement home in their original hips.

The strangest thing was amazingly not Tai's display of unnatural eating. It was the small dose of comfort this simple activity gave Yama. Sitting quietly with the brunette and enjoying a few sandwiches while the rain outside created a rhythm on the sliding glass door was almost nice. Sure he worried about the now two letters he had received, but even someone with that much stress needed a moment to relax. Nevertheless the blonde still kept one eye on the sliding porch door.

"The storms really scare you huh?" Taichi spoke gently and seemed slightly confused why Yama was scared when the eclectic part had eased away.

"Just unnerves me some…" He lied to cover his tracks. "Ever since I was a kid."

"You have been scared since childhood? I used to have that same problem as a kid. But my uncle cured me."

"How did he do that?"

"This might just be the time to show you Sport." A devilish grin came over Tai's lips as he grabbed Yama's hand and began to drag him to the sliding glass door.

For someone his size, Taichi was impressively strong. He was strong enough to win soccer matches, open any jar in the kitchen, and even strong enough to drag a thoroughly unhappy musician out of the house and into a rainstorm. Yama could feel the taller boy's fingers intertwine with his own as he drug Yama out to the apartment complex's community playground only a few feet away.

"You have to show it who is boss!" Tai called out over the loud rainstorm. "Embrace it Yamato! Don't let it know that you are scared. Just tell your fears who is the boss!"

Unlike his joyful companion, Yamato stood quietly as the water pelted his styled hair. On his face was a bit of a frown completing the sourpuss ensemble. The soaking locks of blonde hair that normally swept neatly to the side of his face were now covering his aqua eyes making it hard to see even the multicolored play equipment. What kind of maniac was Taichi? He had drug them out to stare at the rain? And why… why was he still holding Yama's hand so tightly?

"Come on, Yama let it out!" Tai tried again to call over the pounding rain.

"Let what out?"

"Everything!" Tai took a deep breath and let out a loud yell, causing Yama to jump.

_He has finally lost his little tanned brain…_

"Come on Yama. Let whatever stress or fear you have in you just come out. Show the world you aren't scared. Show everyone that they can't control you!"

The strange combination of words sparked a small fire in Yamato's gut. Maybe he wasn't afraid of storms, but there definitely was something else he was scared of. Could Tai actually have some sort of logic behind this idea? Well, probably not a science… but maybe, just maybe it was worth a shot. The blonde took a breath and felt Tai's hand squeeze his own supportively.

"You don't scare me!" Yama yelled out into the rain with his eyes held tightly shut.

"That's it!" Tai cheered and let go of the boy's hand so he could climb up the equipment. "Tell them who is boss Yama!"

"I'm not scared of you! You don't own me!" Suddenly the activity became easier. There was something bizarrely therapeutic about releasing his pent up emotions. Just like the time he had told Taichi about his scars, a small pressure valve in his mind opened and let out some of the destructive anxiety. "You can't hurt me or anyone I love!"

"Come on Yama," Tai reached out to the boy and smiled brightly as the blonde took the help and joined him at the top of the huge play castle. "Let them know who is in charge!"

By the time the boys had run out of phrases to yell, the blonde was feeling his throat burn with exhaustion. He laughed in spite of himself and shook his head so some of the loose hair flipped out of his eyes. "You are crazy Yagami."

"Maybe, but at least I don't look like a drowned rat." Tai laughed happily and reached out to shove some of Yamato's bangs out of his face.

Inside Tai's amber orbs burned an emotion Yamato could not define. Almost as if it was too basic, to primal to fit any category that currently existed. The gentle tilt of Tai's head and the small parting of his lips, on the other hand, were easy to understand. But as the brunette leaned forward and placed his soft lips against Yama's own it was not easy to move.

A sudden heat whirled up in his chest, causing his body to crave an even colder rain shower to help extinguish some of the flames. Inside his rib cage beat a frantic yet tremendously excited heart. All his brain could focus on was the texture of Taichi's lips as they hungrily pressed against their capture.

Rapidly, he began to understand that raw emotion he had spotted in Tai's brown eyes only moments before. He had been waiting for this. Taichi's arm hit the plastic pole behind Yama's head for support as his lips continued their conquest. He had been craving this. Yes, Tai had shown his desire clearly, but Yama wasn't quite sure he understood why his own mind and body were beginning to respond to that desire.

The kiss lasted only a minute or two, but for Yama it felt as if months and years had flown forward. His chest heaved under the weight of his soaking clothes and unresolved feelings. To his right, Tai was busily trying to catch his breath and offer some sort of statement. At first it sounded like an apology, but he stopped after the first word. Both of the boy's knew he wasn't really sorry for their aquatic wonder moment.

"You know," Tai appeared to shy away from the subject, surprising Yama. "Maybe we should go inside now. I can loan you some dry clothes."

Their walk back to the apartment was silent. Each of the boys wanted to say something, anything. But each of the boys found it hard to form a coherent sentence. Personally Yamato tried to focus on the logic of the situation. It was easier that way. Well, most of the time it was easier to think logically and not emotionally. For now, he was having trouble deciding what was the intelligent thing to do. Surely Tai didn't expect him to bring up the conversation. It hadn't been Yamato who started the underwater Olympics.

"Here is a shirt." Tai laid a soccer jersey on the back of the couch then headed to his room in search of a spare pair of pants for his guest. "I'll get some pants and you can change in the bathroom."

Once Taichi had wandered away Yama slipped off his damp shirt and pulled on the faded soccer jersey. The material at the bottom of the shirt was beginning to fray and form orphan threads. How old was this thing? The boy tried to look at the number patch on the back of the shirt by angling himself in front of the hallway mirror.

"That is from my high school team. Had that thing since freshman year. Did you know it is bad luck to wash them?" A look of disgust came over Yama's face. "I'm not that much of a slob, Sport. I washed that shirt just yesterday. It is the rest of the laundry I didn't get to…" He tossed the man a pair of dark jeans and once again went to his room in search of clothes for himself.

The blonde wondered what the inside of Taichi's room must look like. Maybe there was some sort of laundry monster living in his hamper that survived off old gym clothes. Yamato had ignored some of his own household chores due to lack of sleep and anxiety, but what was the reason Tai ignored his?

He looked over to the living room coffee table and spotted two cell phones. It had been a while since he had last checked in with TK. It wouldn't hurt to check up on the boy. Besides Yama was curious if the mini family to be had actually been able to drive to a restaurant in this rain shower.

With a quick swipe he grabbed the closest phone and unlocked the screen by pushing a side button. Instead of the usual home screen, Yama's eyes were met with an image of himself next to a list of yes and no questions. How had his phone gotten on this screen? Had someone messed with it when they went out in the rain? Was this some kind of message from his stalker?

"What are you doing with my phone?"

"Your… phone?" Yama looked up to see Taichi rub his wild hair with a yellow towel.

"Yeah. You have the same model, but mine has a sticker on the back. You want a towel for your hair?"

Suddenly the room started to spin ever so slightly. Yama rested his hand on the bar and tried to put the pieces of his puzzle in some semblance of order. Why would Taichi do research on him? Then again, this wasn't the first time the boy had gotten Yama alone and tried to kiss him. Had the first time really been an accident? Maybe there was more to Taichi than met the eye. But could there actually be a chance that he was some sort of stalker?

Yama glanced at the phone in his hand once more and spotted another fan site. He pressed the back button a few more times and was flooded by various promotional images of himself and incorrect information. It was possible that this whole thing was a misunderstanding and his paranoia was just beginning to eat at him. So Tai had kissed him… and he was doing a lot of research on him… and he was always angry at Sora… and…

"Oops, forgot to lock the door." Tai clicked the sliding porch door's lock with a simple finger flick.

And he was locking the doors?

"Are you okay? You look a little pale." Tai took a step forward but stopped as Yamato's real phone let out a loud ring.

The blonde tossed Tai's phone on the couch and practically pounced on his own, "Hello?"

"Hi Yama." TK spoke loudly to be heard over Kari and Takato laughing in the backseat. "We were going to pick up some food but the weather blocked a lot of the roads so we are thinking about calling something in from that place downtown you like. I just wanted to see if you wanted anything."

"You're nearby?" Yamato kept one eye trained on Tai while he awkwardly pulled on his trench coat.

"Nearby what? We are ordering food from Hoshi's sushi. We aren't eating there."

"I would love to meet you TK. I know Takato doesn't like to eat alone."

"Meet us at the house?" A thoroughly confused Takeru asked as he pulled his car to the side of the road in order to concentrate on the strange phone call. "And Takato is not alone, he is with Kari and I. Is something wrong?"

"Okay. I will meet you there." He hung up on his brother and tried to inch closer to the hallway. "Well I have to go, thanks for everything."

"Uh, Yamato?" Tai followed the boy to the entryway and placed a hand on the doorknob. "You don't have a car remember?"

Yamato took a step back now that Taichi was blocking his exit, "I can call a cab now that the rain is letting up."

"Why don't I just drive you?" Tai kept one hand on the door and used the other to each around Yamato's head for his keys on the wall hook. But before his fingers even graced the metal, Yama stiffened visually and began to resemble a trapped animal. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine… Are you going to take your hand off of the door handle?"

"Oh yeah," Tai noted the drop in stress on Yama's face when he backed away from the door. Yamato offered him a quicker thank you then ducked out the door leaving a very confused Taichi to wonder what he had done to cause such panic.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. **

**Thanks to all my reviewers and readers!**

* * *

Taichi spent the entire weekend analyzing the situation at hand. Each time his brain walked through the course of events, he felt his headache grow worse. What could he have done to freak Yama out that badly? Sure, they had kissed. But if that boy was going to freak out about it wouldn't he have done it sooner? It wasn't like he tried, even once, to push Tai away during the kiss. There had to be something he was missing, but what?

Although he was not sure what he needed to apologize for, the boy had decided to show up early for theater class. Maybe he could get away with some mumbled cover all apologies. The rehearsal hall was vacant minus an overwhelmed looking Koushiro who was trying in vain to set up some blue gymnastics mats, when Tai entered. Needing some sort of physical exertion to wear down his stress level, Tai quickly volunteered to help his friend and share his problems.

"I just don't get it." Tai tossed another mat on the floor with ease. "What did I do? He just freaked!"

"Did you…" The red head grunted as he unrolled a different mat. "Really make him yell in the rain?"

"Yes. It is a legitimately science tested thing to do." Koushiro raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Don't give me that look. It is a logical process."

"The logic being?" He pressed Tai for details in order to see if the brunette would actually come up with something scientific.

"You yell at the storms and face your fears."

"Who could argue with that logic…" The smaller male sat on one of the rolled mats and wiped his brow. "You must really like him to be this upset about it."

"People do crazy things sometimes. Like trying to impress their crushes by unrolling mats that weigh more than they do."

The children burst into the room halting the red heads opportunity to form a witty comeback. Even if he had of created an earth shattering statement, it would have been lost on Taichi. The brunette was busy scanning the sea of children for one child in particular. He knew that if he could find Takato, he could find Yamato. That singer never let his nephew to far out of his eyesight.

After his first searches resulted in zero sightings, the boy relented to tracking down his baby sister. "Hey Kari."

"Hi Tai. Do you need something?" The slender brunette was located in the corner of the room, next to the only adult sized desk in the area. She was busily sorting some papers that the children would need for the day's activity.

"I was just doing a head count and I think you are missing some people."

"Two kids are out sick." She kept her eyes on the paperwork. As much as Kari loved her brother, she desperately needed the small time slot before class began to get her supplies ready.

"Which two kids? So I can let Sora know some of our group may be out."

"Here are the papers Kari," Sora butted into the conversation and handed the frazzled teacher some copies. "Oh and Yama called me. He wanted to let us know that Takato is sick and he is staying home to watch him. I'll run them some chicken noodle soup and such later. By the way Tai, I have a great new project for our group."

Taichi groaned as Sora headed off to the group. "I knew it."

"Are you about to tell me how much you hate projects again Tai?" Kari handed him a stack of papers.

"No, I just wonder if Takato is sick."

"Of course he is. Yamato said so."

"Just seems fishy." Tai began to sink into a new level of paranoia as Kari watched him quizzically.

"Taichi, little kids get sick **all the time**. There is nothing fishy about it. Why would you even think something was up anyway?"

"Yamato is avoiding me."

"What?" Kari grabbed the rest of the papers and walked past her brother, "Tai, I think you might be getting ahead of yourself. There is no reason for Yamato to avoid you. Now lets start class and see what project Sora created."

**XXX**

If there was peace on Earth it was most likely the computer room. The entire classroom was silent, minus the soft hum of the computer's cooling fans and a few select mouse clicks. There was little silence in a school filled with children from the ages of 5 to 18, so Koushiro embraced every second of calmness he could. Yes, this was definitely the best place for thinking in the entire school.

"Koushiro!"

At least it used to be the best place.

"Koushiro. He is avoiding me. I know it."

The red head stared in surprise at a very sweaty Taichi. It looked as if the brunette had worked out for at least a few hours. He hadn't been in that bad of shape when Koushiro had left him in the rehearsal hall a few hours ago. What had the boy done? Race around Japan?

"Tai, don't you think you are getting ahead of yourself?"

"That is exactly what Kari said." The brunette entered the room and plopped down in a rolly chair beside his friend's desk. "But the clues are there."

Koushiro pulled his head phones off and tried to discreetly turn on the air freshener on his desk. "What clues?"

"Well, he didn't come into work today because Takato was sick."

"And that is suspicious because you saw Takato playing in the park or something?"

"Well, no… but he was healthy the other night when Kari went over to Takeru's house."

Slowly, the younger man leaned back in his chair and took a moment to think of a way to explain paranoia to Tai. He knew little about Takeru and his family, but he was pretty sure that the man was a good enough father to not let his five-year-old play hooky. It wasn't uncommon for small children to catch random stomach bugs, but Taichi was treating it like a national security crisis. What had he done to Yamato?

"I think the answer is simple."

Taichi leaned unfortunately closer and began to overpower the air freshener, "What is it?"

"Why don't you just call and ask him what happened to upset him and tell him that you are sorry if you hurt his feelings or whatever?"

"Yes!" Tai finally leaned back and offered a wide grin. "I'll go over there and ask him straightforward. Should have thought of that earlier!"

"Uh… I said call him over the phone not through the door."

"Nah," Tai shook his head and ran a hand through his sweaty locks, "This will get me a real answer much quicker."

"But don't you think you should take it slo-"

"Thanks Koushiro!" Taichi darted out of the room, leaving only his sent and a worried red head in his wake.

**XXX**

Yamato folded the sweaters from the back of his closet neatly, before placing them in a flimsy cardboard box. Stacked haphazardly around the room were various boxes coated in sharpie and packaging tape. The bed linens were stripped, washed, dried, and folded neatly on the foot of the bed. No one could say he wasn't a clean houseguest. They could say he was a leave in the middle of the night without warning houseguest.

It had taken all weekend, but he had finally come to peace with the idea that he had to run. Staying put would only place TK, Takato, and Sora in danger. Maybe, if he left the stalker would follow him and none of his family would have to see the wacko again. Of course, they would probably not get to see Yamato again either. But some sacrifices had to be made. Even if Takato hated him for leaving, he at least would be alive to hate his uncle.

Suki nudged his door open with her nose and gave the blonde a small whimper. The dog seemed to sense that something was definitely out of place. Instead of playfully bounding towards the man, she settled on a slow walk and a tiny lick of his hand. She offered him a controlled tail wag when he pet her soft head and tried to comfort her with gentle words.

"Hey girl, you got to protect them okay?" The dog nudged his still hand for more pets, "Be there for Tak okay? He needs you."

Suddenly a pounding noise entered the room, causing Yama to stiffen and the dog to let out a sharp bark. Yamato shushed the puppy and commanded she stay, as he left the room and waited at the top of the staircase. The noise repeated itself and the scared pup ran from Yama's room to Takato's down the hall.

"Mighty protector…" He sighed and tried to force himself down the stairs as the noise increased. "Who could that be? Kari?"

In all honesty, it was a long shot that there would be someone at the front door that Yama would want to see. But he was going to pray it was just Kari or a random drunk until he had reason to believe otherwise. The other possibility was too scary to consider.

As he rounded the bottom of the stairs, the person outside had started ringing the doorbell and pounding even harder on the door. He glanced through the peephole and spotted a very stressed looking Taichi. The sight of the brunette sent mixed messages throughout his body. Half of him assumed the boy was here to kill him, while the other half delighted in the memory of his warm lips. Could he possibly let this become more complicated?

"Yamato!" Tai called through the door causing the blonde to jump. "Please Yamato answer the door! We need to talk!"

Did the man know he was on the other side of the door? No, that was impossible. Taichi was just yelling for someone to let him in. And if he kept up that racket he would soon have the whole household awake to greet him. That was definitely a bad idea. What if Tai got violent? If Yama could get Taichi to focus on him, the others would be safe.

"Yamato? Are you there?"

"Shhhh!" He shushed the boy as he opened the door and stepped outside into the night air.

"Yamato." Tai smiled at him, and then grew an anxious expression, which unsettled the blonde. "I wanted a chance to talk to you about some things."

"I figured."

"Could we go in? This shouldn't take long and it is cold out here."

"I… I don't know."

"I am sure Takeru won't mind," He reached out to touch Yama's shoulder, but stopped as the boy flinched.

"Okay. We can go to the den."

Yamato knew all too well that the den was one of the most soundproof rooms in the house. He didn't feel comfortable being alone in the room with Taichi, but it would keep the others from running to their doom if there were a struggle. All he had to do was keep Taichi pleased and then strike. But how was he supposed to strike?

"What did you want to tell me?" He fought to keep his voice clear and emotion-less.

"I just wanted to tell you, I am sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out Yama. I just… I really care for you and…And why are you grasping that lamp?"

The blonde dropped the item in surprise and it shattered on the wooden floor. Tai, fearing for the blonde's sanity at this point, came forward to help pick up the pieces before Yama stepped on one. But he jumped back when Yama scrambled to pick up a shard and held it out towards Tai.

"You don't scare me." He stated in a dark voice as months of fear escaped his body.

"What? Look I am sorry for whatever I did to upset you." Tai held up his hands in defeat and backed away from the shorter boy. "Now, why don't we just put down the shard and talk this out?"

"Talk?" Yama took a few more steps forward, trying to remain brave in the face of his nightmare. "I don't want to talk to you! I don't want anymore letters or packages!"

"Letters?" Tai stared in shock at the boy trying to wrap his mind around what the heck was going on.

"You hurt one of my closest friends but you won't hurt anyone else now!"

Fearing for his own safety and for Yamato's, the boy lurched forward and tackled the blonde. The men struggled on the floor for a few minutes, but Taichi was able to overpower the underfed blonde with a few skilled moves. In no time at all, he had the shard tossed out of reach, Yamato perched between his legs, and the boy's hands secured above his head with a strong hand.

"Yama, what is going on with you?" Tai stared into his aqua eyes and was surprised to find a great deal of fear residing in the orbs.

"Go ahead,"

"What?"

"Go ahead and kill me."

"Kill you?" Tai choked out the words and almost lost his grip on Yama. "What the hell?"

"Or whatever your sick plan is. Just leave my family alone. I'll do whatever you want if you don't hurt them. Even if it means being your… Dove. Just leave them alone."

Tai let go of the boy's hands and tried to wrap his mind around the situation. How did they go from unresolved feelings to death? Had he blacked out sometime during their date and threatened the musician? Maybe he should stay off that Indian food, like Kari had told him to. Apparently it not only gave him nightmares but daytime delusions as well.

"Why would I kill you?"

This time Yama stared up at Tai with a desperate expression. It was obvious that he was scared, terrified probably, but he wasn't going to let himself fall silent when he had a family to protect. "I don't know. I don't speak stalker."

"Wait… stalker? Is that what the letter thing was about?" Yamato nodded and tried to stop the cough that wanted to rack his lungs. "You think I have been stalking you with letters? So you thought I was some stalker trying to kidnap and possibly gut you like a fish?" Yamato nodded and watched Tai mumble under his breath, "That has got to be the worst first date in the history of dating…"

"If you aren't planning on killing me," Yama coughed under the weight Tai placed on his chest. "Why are you still on top of me?"

"I'll get off of you if you promise to explain exactly what is going on. And I mean the whole story."

"You are better off not knowing that. Just let me up and you can leave and I can leave."

"Leave? What do you mean?"

"Let me up." He struggled against Taichi's body than laid still with a scowl. "I'm heading out tonight. Happy?"

"Almost." Tai remained still and watched Yama with a strangely intense set of eyes. He was going to find out once and for all what was going on in that blonde head. "Now finish the story and I will let you up."

A whole painstaking hour and a half later, Taichi was struck silent by Yamato's long tale. It was hard to believe the blonde had remained this sane so far. How would anyone remain sane after receiving that many threats and watching their friend be blown up by a car bomb? And who would dare mess with the person Tai liked?

"So what did the police say after you showed them the letters?" He crawled off Yama and watched the boy struggle to sit up.

"They haven't seen them..."

"Wait, didn't you show them after the car incident? You said you had collected them and wasn't the car proof the police needed to be clued in?"

"You don't get it…" Yama sighed and rubbed his eyes as the stress of the story began to take hold of him once more. "The last time I told about the letters they found me. They tried to kill Miyako and they almost succeeded. If anything, I have put you in danger now."

"Yamato," Tai spoke in a steady almost fatherly voice, "I know you are scared. But running away is not going to help anyone. You need to reach out to your friends. Let us help you."

"I'd just be helping you to your death!" Yama's breath was ragged as his psyche neared its breaking point. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me. I care about you to much to let them get you!"

"You care about me?" Tai blinked in surprise as the blonde blushed and hung his head.

"Yes… I don't get it, but there is something… there is just something I can't help okay? You're not entirely… I like you."

A large grin spread over Tai's face as he watched the boy struggle to come to terms with his emotions. So Yamato had some feelings for him as well? If they hadn't been covered in the creepy fog of a stalker, this would have been completely romantic. But Yama's swaying body and his dip towards the ground reminded Tai that he was in no condition to be pestered further.

"Yama," The boy slouched forward and rested his forehead on Tai's shoulder, "I like you too."

With great care, Taichi stood up and pulled Yamato into his arms. The blonde struggled for a moment, but Tai kept a firm grip on his crush. He highly doubted Yamato would be able to make it all the way back to his room on his own feet. This way, he could be sure that the boy at least got to his own bed.

"I can walk," Yama mumbled against Tai's neck causing a few goose bumps to appear on the skin.

"Don't worry about it." Tai climbed the stairs with ease and looked for Takeru's guest room. "Just rest your head Yama. I got you."

It had been a long time since Yamato felt the warmth of protection. He had been living in such a distant sate that he had almost forgotten what it felt like to rely on someone. Sure, he had been able to reap some comfort from his family, but this was a completely different level. Taichi's warm arms wrapped securely around him and the gentle beat of his heart was more soothing than any lullaby Yamato knew.

As the brunette laid him on the unmade bed and gently covered him in a blanket, Yama reached out to grasp his wrist. "I'm sorry…"

"For what?" Tai smiled at the exhausted boy, hiding his worry for Yama's condition, and sat on the edge of the bed.

"For thinking you wanted to gut me like a fish."

"Thank you." A laugh escaped Tai's lips and he leaned close to Yamato's own, "And I'm sorry for unintentionally tormenting you."

With his last burst of energy the blonde lifted his head and captured the boy's lips. The kiss was accepted by Tai and quickly deepened as the men tilted their heads in different angles. The feeling was wonderful and lifted Yama's spirits, but his exhaustion overcame him and his head flopped back on the pillow.

"You need your rest," Tai panted and smoothed some of the wild blonde strands.

"Maybe you should stay. It is pretty chilly out there tonight."

Taichi laughed and moved the blanket so he could crawl under the cover with Yamato. His arms wrapped around the boy and he placed a gentle kiss on Yama's forehead. "You couldn't make me leave your side now Yama."

Inside his heart, Yamato knew that this was the beginning of multiple things. Tai would definitely want to discuss the letters and confessing to the police, but for now they would just rest. The stresses of tomorrow could be dealt with later. All Yamato was concerned about at that moment was the warmth spreading through his chest as Tai hummed a simple song to help him drift off to sleep. As long as he had this support, maybe things could work out. Maybe he could actually defeat the mysterious psycho still hiding in the shadows.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. **

**Thanks for checking out the newest chapter! Oh, and there is a homage line to The Simpsons in this chapter. : ) See if you can find it! Also, this chapter has a bit more drama than the others so be forewarned.**

* * *

Deja vu had never been something Yama subscribed to, but he was fairly certain he had experienced waking up in Taichi's arms once before. The only thing missing was the intense pain from his black eye and split lip. It had taken a while, but his lip and face were practically healed. All that remained was a faint shadow under his eye that you could only see in the bright light.

"You're here." Tai mumbled and tried to stretch without letting go of his prize.

"Of course I am. This is my bed."

"Just felt like last night had been a dream. Its nice to know you and everything else is real."

"I'm no one's dream Tai." Yamato sat up as the words came tumbling out of his mouth.

"You're one of my dreams," The brunette wrapped his arms around Yama's middle and pulled him back down. "You and my college soccer coach."

"Hey!" Yamato barked defensively before Tai laughed and kissed his forehead once more.

"Just a joke Sport. But it is nice to know you care."

How was Taichi able to do that? One moment he was a protector, one moment he was a scoundrel, and then he turned into a playful snuggle addict. Yama had never seen someone who could so easily dance the emotional line. But Tai was so free and courageous that it almost seemed like he didn't have a care in the world.

"We are going to be late for work." Ever the reliable one, Yama once more tried and failed to sit up.

"Call in."

"Two days in a ro-"

"Yamato?" TK called out through the door, forcing a wave of guilt to run the length of Yamato's spine. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine TK." He cleared his throat, "Why? Is something wrong?"

"There are pieces of lamp all over the den. Takato didn't know anything about it, so I wanted to see if you did. Did something happen?"

"Sorry about that. It was my fault. I was trying to get a drink of water last night and ran into the LA-" Tai ran his hand on Yama's sensitive rib cage causing the boy to emit a higher pitched noise then normal. "Stop that." He hissed under his breath to the grinning fool beside him.

"Yama?"

"Sorry. Look, I'll clean it u-"

"No, that's okay." Takeru looked to the stairwell, than back to the closed door in front of him. "Takato and I can take care of it while you say goodbye to aunt… or uncle whoever in your room."

Was everyone in his life gifted with supernatural senses except him? At least TK didn't seem to upset that someone was inside his brother's room. Or technically, TK's guest room. He waited until Takeru's footfalls went silent, then turned to Taichi. Unlike Yama, the brunette still seemed rather pleased. He wasn't embarrassed or unnerved in the slightest.

"You look tense." Tai mumbled and propped his head up with his hand as Yama rolled onto his back.

"It has been a very long time since I woke up with someone next to me."

"That happened just a week or so ago. Ice bag, remember?"

"I meant on purpose." Yama laughed softly and placed his hands behind his head.

"What about Sora?"

The change in Tai's voice was very easy to hear. Did the boy think Sora was still romantically involved with Yamato? Sure, everyone knew he had dated Sora off and on for years. But that was the past. He had run away and lost any chance of her ever seeing him as a love interest. They were still friends, and he cared about her deeply. She was his first love, and part of him would always love her. There was no way Sora could actually love him as a lover again, at least not as far as Yama figured.

"What about her?" Yama echoed the question.

"Aren't you two? Weren't you two a couple?"

"We were," Tai seemed suddenly pleased when Yamato labeled his relationship with Sora as a past event. "But that was a long time ago. We should get ready. You can borrow some clothes if you like. I still have your soccer jersey."

"Nah, you keep that Sport." Tai sat up and stretched out his arms. "Only one bathroom in here, huh? Well I guess we will just have to share the shower."

"Nice try player," Yama gave the boy a gentle shove towards the bathroom and laughed, "You should go first, the cold water will do you some good."

"No water can dampen my spirits!" Tai playful rebutted and gave Yamato one last kiss before wandering to the bathroom.

**XXX**

A sweet smile graced Sora's lips as she adjusted a leaf hat on one of her fairy children. The child was happy to babble on and on about her favorite television show, but not happy to sit still for her costume fitting. With surprising skill, the adult managed to tie the hat string underneath the squirmy child's chin. Sora was good with kids, but she was not good enough to survive the group without her partner.

From the corner of her eye, Sora saw Yamato and Taichi slink into the rehearsal hall. Where had those boys been? She waved Tai over to their group as Yama ran to recapture his group from Mimi. Thank goodness her relief had shown up before class ended.

"Sorry I'm late." Tai said with a goofy looking grin planted on his face.

"Where have you been?" Sora called a different kid to her side and began to put on his hat.

"Just overslept." Tai tried to help by handing out the baggy costumes. He was thankful the kids were putting the loose costumes on over their school uniforms. Anything to stop him from having to sew a million full outfits was a good thing in Tai's book.

"Well I am glad you are here now. I thought we should run over the kid's lines and maybe try their dance again… Tai?"

She followed his gaze and saw that he was staring at a certain blonde male. Yamato wasn't doing anything special to warrant such an intense stare. Then again, it was hard not to stare at his emaciated body and pale skin. He looked so different compared to just a few months ago. The paparazzi would have a field day if they could see the boy now. Lucky for Tai, he wasn't watching Yama with the blood thirsty look the camera hogs always offered. Sora would have been more than happy to drop kick him right there if he thought about selling such images to the press. No one was going to hurt her best friend and possible boyfriend.

Of course monetary gain would not explain the protectiveness encompassed in Taichi's stare. It was as if he expected danger to come crashing down any minute. Maybe the boy thought Yama was a danger to the school? Yamato had been around a car bomb that even the trained police called extremely fishy. Then again, if Tai thought Yama were a danger to the school he wouldn't stare at the boy like a bear watching her cubs. Was it possible she was misreading his face?

"What did you say Sora?"

This time Sora had to be snapped back to reality, "Huh? Oh, just that I want to do a run through when this costume check is over."

"Sure. That sounds like a good idea."

_Did Tai just compliment me? _Something was definitely fishy about this situation, but what was t? Taichi wasn't acting badly. In fact he was being downright pleasant to work with now that he wasn't complaining about every task they had to perform. Something big had unquestionably happened. No one received that large of a personality change overnight.

"Hey Sora," Tai adjusted a kid's hat, and then sent him off to sit with the rest of the group a few feet away. "Have you ever had a strange fan?"

"Well," Sora sent her own student back to the group and tried to think of a decent answer. "What do you mean by strange?"

"Someone who sends a lot of letters."

"Sure. Most people in the business get a lot of fan letters."

"Did you ever get threatening letters?" Tai spotted Maro stiffen from the corner of his eye. The giant was never out of eye and ear shot of Sora.

"I have gotten some not so nice letters, but nothing threatening."

"So it isn't common for celebrities?"

"No…" She was beginning to feel uneasy.

"If you did get one," Tai mused, missing the change in Sora's emotion. "Would you call the police or would you do what the guy said?"

Sora paused this time and tried to fully digest the question. Why was he asking her about this? Did it have something to do with why he was looking at Yamato so strangely? Sure Tai had never warmed up to her, but he wasn't a psycho. There had to be a perfectly reasonable explanation of why he was casually bringing up threats against her.

"I would contact the police. They are trained to handle these kinds of situations. And I have Maro to protect me."

"What if you didn't have Maro to protect you?" Tai asked with genuine interest, as Sora leaned back worried that his message was a veiled threat.

"She will always have me to protect her." Maro stood behind Sora and glared at a surprised Taichi.

"Good to know." The smaller boy mumbled and nodded his head.

**XXX**

By the time school let out for the day, Tai was pretty sure Sora no longer liked him in any way, shape, or form. She and Maro had remained bizarrely cold to him, as they had worked on running lines and dance numbers. The one time he had asked her if something was wrong, she had quickly stated that nothing was wrong. Although Tai knew little about women, living with his baby sister for multiple years had taught him that when a woman says nothing is wrong… everything is wrong. But she couldn't be pissed about anything he had done. Heck, Tai barely even talked to the girl! How could he be in trouble?

In an effort to give Yamato some space, TK had picked Takato up from school and whisked him away to the park for a play date with another child. This left Tai free to kidnap his crush and get a few more answers out of the boy. They had settled for a soccer field situated in the quieter area of the city. Only a few kids played on the grass while Yama and Tai sat on the bleachers and discussed the topics at hand.

"I still think you should talk to the police." Tai took a sip of his orange soda and frowned as Yama lit up a cigarette. "Those will kill you."

"So will talking to the police."

"Even Sora says she would call the police if the situation had happened to her."

Yama coughed hard and almost inhaled the burning cancer stick, "You told her about the letters and everything?"

"No, no, no," Tai patted his back trying to help the boy breath more normally. "I just weaved the question about what she would do if she ever got a threatening letter non-suspiciously into the conversation. She would have told me more of her opinion, but Maro butted in."

"You do realize," The blonde finished hacking and took a sip of his water bottle. "That Maro probably thought you were threatening her?"

"Me? Why in the world would I want to threaten Sora?"

"You two fight like cats and dogs most of the time. Even I thought you could have been the stalker since you disliked her so much, remember?"

"I had to say something. She wanted to add three more sewing projects! My hands can't take that anymore." The boy tried to find the small pin pricks on his hands.

"If I did tell the police, they would probably make me go into hiding or something."

Taichi hadn't considered that option. In his own childish fantasies, telling the police was the finish line. Once the police knew, they would catch the stalker and that would be the end of it. But what if the stalker evaded the authorities? The police could very well send Yama to some foreign country. How would Tai get to spend any time with the boy if they shipped him off to Africa or New Zealand? Then again, Yamato's safety was worth more than his desire to have the boy close at hand.

"Let's hold off on telling them." Yama added and took a slow drag of his cigarette. "I can't miss Takato's big performance. He would never forgive me. And if they do have to ship me off at least I will have one last good memory to go out on."

"But the longer we wait the more your chance of getting hurt or worse increases. Unless we got you some kind of bodyguard."

"Be serious Taichi."

"I am!" The brunette's eyes grew wider as an idea began to form in his head. Maybe there were not any Bodyguards-R-Us stores in town, but they could make do with a new plan.

"I don't like the look in your eyes…"

"I'll be your bodyguard."

"What?" Yama cocked his head like a dog listening to a high-pitched sound. "You don't even know what bodyguards do."

"How hard can it be?" Tai smiled and leaned back on the bleachers. "You stick next to the person, watch their back, and fight off danger. I was planning on doing all those things anyway, so now I will do them with a title."

Unlike the excited brunette, Yamato kept a calm expression on his face. Dating Tai was one thing, but hiring him as a bodyguard was a completely different thing. Most of the time dating a celebrity wouldn't get you killed. Bodyguards were not as lucky. Of course, no one seemed to be safe in Yamato's presence these days so maybe it wasn't such a stupid idea.

"We can do it just for this week Yama. Then you tell the police and they will obviously load you down with protection. I'll just stay the night at your place and that way you can still bond with Takato and hang out with your brother. Then on Saturday we can… Oh, no."

"What?" Yama watched the boy's mood take a sudden drop downward.

"I forgot. I promised Koushiro and the group that I would go with them on a guy's only night. There is a big game on TV and it took forever to convince the guys to agree to go to the sports bar downtown to watch it."

"You know, you don't have to do the bodyguard thing." Yama snubbed out his cigarette on the underside of the bleachers. "I can make it a few more days Tai. We can hang out some if it will rest your mind, but don't give up your friend date."

The brunette was torn and he hated it. Why was it so hard to pick between keeping Yama safe and giving the boy some space? "You can come along to the sports bar if you like."

"No thanks, Tai. Besides, the more time you spend away from me the safer you will be."

Taichi furrowed his brow and stared Yamato down so strongly that the shorter boy physically flinched. The last thing Tai wanted to hear from Yamato's mouth was guilt. It was not his fault some psycho selected him as a target. And there was no way Tai was going to let Yama drown in any more guilt.

He reached out, took hold of Yama's hand, and squeezed it tightly, "Yamato, listen to me. I want you to remember that none of this is your fault. You didn't ask for a stalker or for Miyako to get hurt. You didn't do anything wrong. And I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that you and I and everyone else stay safe until this psycho is caught. In other words, you can't get rid of me Sport."

Unable to think so clearly anymore, the blonde let out a small laugh and kissed Taichi's lips. He pulled away for a moment, letting his lips linger over the boy's own and whispered, "Alright. You can play bodyguard. But you still have to go out with your friends."

"Deal." Taichi grinned and let his hungry lips recapture Yamato's pair.

**XXX**

No one was more surprised than Yamato when the kids pulled off a pretty good show performance on Friday. The crowd had been filled with gobs of over excited parents and video cameras waiting to catch some golden moment when their child outshined everyone else on stage. It was to early to see any real acting talent in the children, but Yama was pretty sure he saw some comedic talent. His favorite had to be the boy playing a tree that somehow managed to trip every girl and boy that walked by. Poor kid had no shot of avoiding it after Mimi had stuck him in an overbearing tree costume.

Once the bows were over and the majority of children had been matched up with their parents, Takato's family headed home to TK's house. In honor of Takato's star performance, Kari and TK had planned a special little trip to some kid friendly museum Tak had seen advertised on television. It was good for them to spend some quality time together. As far as Yamato knew, Takato still hadn't grasped that Kari was going to become his stepmother. This trip would help him realize that his family unit was evolving.

"I don't like this." Tai the one hitch in the plan kept his arms firmly around Yama's waist as they sat on the living room couch. Due to Yama's desire to keep an extremely low profile, the boys had not told anyone that they were somewhat dating. Making the moments Tai spent with Yama alone, all the more valuable. "When we made our plan it didn't include Takeru leaving the house."

"Don't worry." Yama smoothed the brunette's hair and kissed his cheek. "They will be back by Saturday night. And knowing you, I will probably see you sometime around three am."

"You'll call if anything happens? A letter… or anything else?"

"You will be the first on my call in case of emergency list." Yama turned in Tai's arms and offered the boy a slow kiss, "Now, don't you have a sports game to catch?"

"You are wicked." Tai mumbled while trying to think of dead kittens and other unpleasant sights to kill his arousal. Although he and Yama had never gone past a make out session, the boy was more than able to send Tai into an_ enthusiastic_ state.

"Yama?" TK called from the top of the stairs forcing the boys to separate. "You sure you don't want to go with us?"

"No. I have a big day tomorrow." _Confessing a deep dark secret to the police_. "So I am just going to hang out at the house. You three have fun though."

"Will you take care of Suki, Oji?" Takato and his puppy raced down the stairs and jumped onto their uncle's lap.

"Yeah…" He mumbled under the weight of the puppy and Takato. "I'll take care of the pup."

By the time Suki and Yamato got the house to themselves, the clock on the wall read six thirty. The blonde poured some kibble into the dog's food bowl and managed to scarf down a muffin. He wasn't really hungry, but he had promised Taichi that he would try and eat something. Besides, he needed to make sure the house windows were shut before the clouds outside let out a downpour. There was just no time for a big meal.

With the entire home locked up tightly, Yamato retired to his bedroom. Suki followed him up the stairs, but lost interest when the boy decided to take a nap instead of play with her. The last glimpse he caught of the dog, was her tail as she zoomed out of his room. A long yawn racked his body and reminded the boy that he needed to try and get some sleep. Tai would probably keep him up most of the night, so this was his last chance to grab a few winks…

"_Get up loser!" Yama could hear the children chanting from down the street. As he neared the alleyway, his blue eyes caught sight of an older group of boy's picking on a tiny child. The small victim was clad only in a white tank top and a pair of baggy green shorts. He looked no older than five, while his bullies all appeared to be well into their pre-teen years. _

_Yama watched from the sidelines as the older boy's grabbed the child's hand and sliced it with a knife. "Stop it! Why don't you jerk's pick on someone your own size?"_

"_Oh yeah?" Taunted the leader of the group as he walked up to a seven-year-old Yama, with the bloody knife clutched in his hand. "And why would we listen to a little shrimp like you?"_

"_Because I know how to fight. My dad taught me and everything." Yama adjusted his stance and put up two tiny fists. In all truth his dad had explained very little about fighting. They had watched boxing once or twice, and in Yama's childish mind that made him an expert on the subject. Besides, his dad had told him to look out for littler kids like his baby brother. If he could defend this kid his parents would be happy and they wouldn't fight so much. _

"_Look at that guys! He thinks he is some kind of Jackie Cha-" Yamato's fist flew into the kid's gut._

"_Why you little asswipe!" The second largest boy yelled and dropped his hold on the bleeding child to wallop Yama on his head. _

_The rest of the fight continued in a fashion that most people would expect. While Yama tried bravely to fight off the older boys, his seven-year-old muscles were just not strong enough to do any damage. His punches were able to stun the bullies, but the bullies' attacks were able to bring tears to Yama's eyes. Not to mention an intense pounding to the back of his head._

"_You have got to be the stupidest kid I have ever seen." The two followers held Yama against the wall with enough force to form fingerprint bruises on his arms, while their leader offered a lecture. "We don't tolerate people challenging our authority blondie. Kids like you can get in a lot of trouble acting so stupid."_

_Yamato furrowed his brow stubbornly and spit in the other man's face._

"_Why you little!" Enraged, the tallest boy flew forward with the knife and took a swipe at the child. Yama flinched and the knife sliced his left thigh._

_A loud voice broke up the fight and caused the bullies to scatter quickly. Yamato landed on the ground and stared at the smaller boy shaking in the corner. The child was clutching his hand to his chest and going through some sort of tremors. He opened his mouth and mumbled a quick but heartfelt thank you._

_The next thing Yama knew, he was sitting in a hospital room with stitches in his thigh and a Band-Aid on his forehead. He closed his eyes tightly when his parents entered the room, for fear of being punished for losing the fight and not saving the small boy. Luckily his parents fell for the sleep trick and resorted to conversing between themselves. _

"_How could you have let this happen?" his mother had growled at his father. "You promised me you would watch the boys. You said you wouldn't let them out of your sight. What if TK had followed him to that alley?"_

"_I only looked away for a minute. They were sitting in the park and I had to take a quick business call."_

"_Its always business with you! Do you realize that working yourself from dusk to dawn nearly put your son to…" Her voice broke off filled with emotion. "I can't do this anymore. If you can't even take care of your own kids without getting distracted by that damn office, how can I expect you to take care of anything else? Your family shouldn't have to compete for your attention. I can't stand to see the boy's be hurt anymore."_

_That was the last conversation he saw his parents have before they announced the divorce. Yama could still recall his brother's face as their mother drug him away from the rest of his family. It was all his fault. He had hurt his mother and his brother. He had destroyed their family…_

The ringing of the phone woke Yamato up from his memory dream. He felt around the bed for his cell and groggily answered the device, "Hello?"

"Yama?" Tai's voice filtered through the line, helping the boy rejoin the real world. "Did I wake you?"

"No. I was just having a weird dream… kind of like a memory actually. What is going on?"

"The storm knocked out the power to part of the town. We are waiting for them to get the game going again, so I thought I would call to check in with you. Does your place still have power?"

Yama flipped the power button of his lamp, "Upstairs is shot. I'll go check downstairs."

The boy grabbed a flashlight from his nightstand drawer and began the trek down the staircase. Outside the home, the storm ragged on in full electrical glory. Each flash of lighting illuminated different parts of the house for a few seconds as Yama made his way to the first floor. With a tiny yawn, he flipped a few of the switches in the entryway and kitchen.

"Nothing seems to be working here Ta-"

"Yama? You okay?"

"There is something sticky on the floor leading to the den." The boy shinned his light on the small spots and followed the trail to the room in question. "It almost looks like… Oh my God!"

"Yamato? What is it? Yama?" Tai cried desperately into the phone, but the blonde did not reply to a single call.

Yamato stared at the wall in front of him in pure shock and horror. The muffin in his stomach threatened to come rushing back up as he fell to his knees. How could this have happened? Why hadn't he heard anything? This was all his fault! He dropped his cell phone to the ground and with a shaky hand reached out to touch the fur of Takato's young playmate.

The dog laid still, her body sliced from neck to stomach. The carpet was soaked with the horrible smelling liquid, but it was by far not the worst part of the scene. Written on the wall, in the animal's innocent blood was a mysterious message…

_I'm here Dove._


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. **

**Hi guys and gals. First off I would like to express my sympathies to the poor people attacked in the Colorado movie theater. I don't know if any of my readers are from Colorado or have loved ones in the area, but I hope you, your families, and friends are all safe. **

**On the story side: I would like to say that I agree the relationship part was a bit rushed. I blame part of the reason on my desire to keep pumping out chapters. Once you get in the writing groove, it is hard to stop lol. And I was kinda hoping that you would get the sense that they had bonded through the weeks at school. So once the stalker part was out of the way, they would be able to relish in the comfort of another human. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter. Thanks for the feedback, too! : )**

* * *

The police station was surprisingly crowded for the middle of the night. Then again, Taichi had no idea how many people usually inhabited a police station at such a late hour. So his figure could be a little off. He kept a strong arm around Yamato's shoulders and tried to process the situation around them. Which would have been easier if Yama would at least speak to him.

After their faithful phone call, his next call had been to the police. Lucky for him, they had been more than happy to send someone to check on Yama. At least they had been after he told them there was someone unconscious and possibly being attacked. It wasn't really a lie. Tai knew something was wrong in that house, he just didn't know what.

When he had arrived on the scene, the place had been crawling with cops. The officers had stationed a pale-faced Yama on the edge of an ambulance. The medics had wrapped the boy in a blanket, but didn't seem to be applying any other medical treatments. He had taken that as a pretty good sign. If Yama was here and not stuck in some emergency room, he had to be physical all right.

Upon his arrival, Yama hadn't really spared the coach a single glance. Tai remained faithfully beside him as the cops around spoke amongst themselves about the incident. None of the uniformed workers offered him a full summary of the events, but he did catch key words such as only resident out of house, dog carcass, and kitchen utensils. What the heck had happened in that mini mansion?

The officers had turned their attention to Yamato only a few minutes after Taichi had arrived. They eyed the brunette with trained eyes and seemed to mentally calculate his threat level. Apparently, the level was not high enough to warrant any type of physical force. Instead, they merely tried to talk Taichi into leaving the scene and going back to his home. Stubbornly the brunette had refused their offer and demanded that he was not going to leave his friend's side. He was the one who had called the police in the first place. Didn't that mean he had a right to stay put and hear the facts? No, it did not. Until Yama spoke up and stated he would only answer questions if Tai stayed and they went somewhere other than Takeru's house.

So here they were, stuck in the middle of a large police precinct at two in the morning. Tai yawned and tried to lean back in the stiff wooden chair. The officer who had dropped them off in the waiting area had promised they would be seen in ten minutes. An hour later and they were still no closer to ending Yama's nightmare.

"Ishida Yamato?" The pair glanced up to see a middle aged man staring in their direction. His uniform was wrinkle free and tucked into his pants highlighting the large Santa like stomach. A shiny nametag pinned to his left breast pocket stated his name; Officer T. Atsuo. "We are ready to talk with you in room 4."

"Want me to go with you?" Tai gently rubbed the boy's shoulder and tried to find some way to place a smile on his face.

"Actually, we have another officer to question you. The policy is to interview witnesses and such individually." The officer interrupted the boys.

"I am not going to leave Yama alone-"

"It's okay Tai." Yama spoke up for the first time and promptly stood up from the chair. His voice was colder than Taichi remembered and there was something unsettling about the boy's general demeanor. The blonde had been through a lot, but he had never carried such a strange tone in his broken voice. What was going on in that head?

**XXX**

The bright lights of the interrogation room burned Yama's blue eyes when he stared upward. Water tried to fill the orbs, but Yama blinked it away. Part of him was glad to see he could still feel anything. After sitting in the dog's blood for over ten minutes, something inside of him had snapped. He couldn't quite label what thread had been plucked, but somewhere in the dark recesses of his mind a wave of numbness had begun to wash over him.

The door to the small room opened and a teenager marched into the room with a large manila folder clutched in his hand. The fuzzy headed boy was thin and dressed in a dark blue police uniform. Didn't the police have an age limit on their membership rules? This one looked like he couldn't be much older than Takeru. Then again, the goggles perched on the boy's head probably added to his level of youth.

"I'm detective Motomiya." The brunette stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Yama starring blankly at him. "The uniform right? Our department is very professional so even the detectives wear professional uniforms here."

"Actually, I was looking at the goggles."

"Oh!" The boy laughed nervously and snatched the blue plastic off his head. "They are important when I ride my motorcycle."

So this was the detective they sent to question him about who broke in the house and gutted his nephew's pet? Really showed how much faith the police had in this case. The least they could have done was send him someone who was not a rookie. This kid didn't look like he was old enough to be an officer, forget detective. How was this boy supposed to handle a stalker who was seeing the line of sanity as a dot in his rear view mirror?

"All right," The boy took a seat on the other side of the small metal table and pulled out a tiny notepad from his pocket. "Why don't you tell me what happened tonight?"

**XXX**

Taichi drummed his fingers nervously on the metal table in his room. His sneaker-coated foot tapped a quick paced beat out on the white tile below. Why was the detective taking so long to come into the room? Didn't anybody in this place know how to show up in less than ten minutes? Maybe they were questioning Yamato first.

"Sorry for the wait," Detective Atsuo entered the room with a large manila folder clutched in his withered hands. He took a seat and pulled out a few blank sheets of paper. A pen stationed in his pocket protector was plucked from the plastic and set on top of the papers. "Now, why don't you tell me what you witnessed tonight?"

"I didn't really get to see much of anything." Tai admitted, feeling slightly useless for the detective. "I was at a sports bar when a storm hit. I knew Yama was home alone and I called him up to make sure he was okay. We talked for a few minutes and then he dropped the phone or something… and it disconnected. I did hear him exclaim, oh my God. And some of the officers were talking about blood, but I didn't see any cuts on Yama. Though he did have some blood on his knees. You didn't see an-"

"Excuse me." The officer held up his hand and tried to motion to the water pitcher on the table. "So you called Ishida from the sports bar, he yelled, dropped the phone, and you did what?"

"Called the police." Tai gulped his glass of water.

"You never went in the house? Even earlier today?"

"I was there earlier. Yamato's brother and my sister were taking his nephew to a museum. We saw them off and then I went out with friends."

"What is your relationship with him?"

"Yamato?" The officer nodded and Tai took one more nervous sip of water. "Well… we never really said anything official to each other, but I think we are in a sort of relationship."

"Sexual?"

The brunette choked on his second glass of water and nearly dropped the cup on the floor. What did this have to do with anything? His sexual relations, or lack there of, were not evidence of anything. "No. I mean it is a romantic relationship. But we haven't…. Can you just tell me what happened in the house tonight?"

"It appears that someone might have found their way into the house and attacked the dog."

"Suki?" Tai waited for the detective to pull out some Polaroids before letting his jaw drop. "What the…"

In each photo the scene appeared more and more gruesome. What kind of sicko could do that to an innocent dog? As the boy flipped through the images, he spotted the message left on the wall. Suddenly, he knew what sicko was capable and most likely guilty of this crime. It sickened him to his very core to imagine the stalker so close to Yamato. But as far as he knew the officers had not found anyone else in the house and Yama was physically uninjured. Why would the crazed writer leave without touching Yama?

"We found Ishida kneeling next to the dog. No one else was located in the residence. Making us wonder if the intruder knew his way around the place or had a key."

"No one who has access to TK's house would do that!" Tai shook his head adamantly and shoved the pictures back across the table. "Couldn't the person just pick a lock?"

"Tell me, what do you know about Yamato's past?" The officer's tone was no longer as friendly as it had been at the start of the interview.

"His past? Well I know what most people know, I guess. Whatever gossip the magazines or TV says."

"His brother, you know him?"

"Yeah. TK's my sisters fiancé."

"Has he ever told you anything about his family? Perhaps something about their parents?"

"All I know is TK and Yama's father hasn't seen them much due to his job and certain stressors."

"Stressors?"

"TK told me once that he has battled severe depression off and on for years. He had a few times where he cut himself off from the family" Taichi stiffened in his chair, uncomfortable that he could not follow the pattern of questions easily. "Look, this is ridiculous. His parents have nothing to do with the psychotic person who has been tormenting Yama."

"Actually, I think they may play a part in the entire event."

"What? You actually think his parents are stalking him?"

"Stalking?" The officer raised an eyebrow at this new information. "Tell me more about this stalker."

"Well," Tai bit his lip unsure if he should really share Yamato's tale. Then again, their goal had been to tell the police. "It all started with a simple letter that said, Hi Dove."

**XXX**

Being the youngest member of the force to achieve the rank of detective had instilled a sense of pride in Daisuke. He faced tons of cases that would have sent other officers running in fear. Ergo, he had no doubt that he could solve this case. If he could just get their current star witness to talk, this case would be over in no time at all.

"Well," Tenchi Atsuo, Daisuke's highly honored mentor, walked into the conference room and tossed some papers on the table. "It seems there is more to this Ishida character than we thought."

"Find out something?" The younger man dug through the yellow paper and tried to gauge what the notes stated without actually reading them.

"Remember the case he is being questioned about by the other station a few towns over? The one we got reports on before going in to question them?"

"Yes. He was under some suspicion for a car bomb that severely hurt his manager. Practically killed the woman. Just about every witnesses those cops called in said the last few times he was seen with her, they were fighting and causing quite a scene."

"Well it turns out he was withholding more information on that case." Atsuo's brow dipped downward as his senses began to tell him they were in the presence of a rat. "According to his buddy, Ishida has been receiving threats from a mysterious stalker who hates his friends and coworkers. Our singer failed to mention that to the police after the car bomb. And now his friend thinks that the same stalker broke into the house and gutted the family pet."

"The officers on the scene stated that they couldn't find any evidence that proved someone had come into the house. The doors and windows were locked and undisturbed. The only blood in the house was found on Ishida and all over that den floor. Even the presumed weapon came from the knife set in the kitchen. It's almost as if…"

Atsuo sighed and rubbed the deep wrinkles on his forehead as the pieces started to come together. He had dealt with celebrities in the past and knew they were fickle beasts. But this singer had to be the strangest case to come across his desk in a long time. The man had been acting suspiciously for quite a while according to witnesses in the car bomb case. Now that they had this new information about a supposed stalker and a highly unlikely break in a new picture was being painted. Ishida Yamato was beginning to look less like a victim and more like a mental case.

"You think we should send in the shrink don't you?" Daisuke had worked with his mentor long enough to be able to tell when something was up.

"If we can get him to answer a few questions with Kenzo, we could get a professional gauge." The older man leaned against the wall and tried to map the plan out in his head. Ishida did not seem like the type to go along willingly. "The only problem is convincing him to agree. He technically can't be forced into it."

"Kenzo is old enough that he'll probably get answers." The younger male rolled his eyes and stuffed the papers into a pile. "He seemed to think I was some sort of high schooler when I questioned him. You get Kenzo and arrange the little meeting with Ishida and I'll go release your witness."

"There is an old joke in there somewhere, I know it." The man mumbled under his breath and followed his younger partner out of the room.

**XXX**

"Why am I being released, but Yamato isn't? Did something happen?" Taichi drug his feet as the youthful detective tried to usher him back to the waiting room.

"The other detective wanted to talk to Ishida-san in person. He will be out in no time at all." Daisuke tried hard to keep his professional side up in front of one of the old soccer greats. Unlike Yamato who only interested Daisuke's sister Jun, Taichi was a pretty cool guy in the detective's opinion. The dude had almost made it to the Olympics at an impressively young age. Not to mention he sacrificed his chance to make it to the big game by making a last minute play that kind of mangled his leg! Why someone like Taichi hung out with a fan girl musician like Yama was beyond Daisuke.

"By the way," The young boy's professional façade shifted slightly, "Sorry you never made it to the Olympic game. It was a shame."

"Uh, thanks?" Tai leaned away from the boy and turned his attention to the new resident in the waiting room. "Takeru?"

The blonde boy rushed forward his chest heaving from the exertion. It was obvious from the disheveled hair and small bags under his eyes that he had not gotten any sleep. He rested his hands on his knees and tried to take a few breaths before mumbling out, "I got your message and came as soon as I could. Where is Yamato? And who are you?"

"Whoa, calm down TK." Tai patted the boy's back, "Yama is being questioned by the officer. He'll be out in a bit."

"I'm detective Motomiya. TK is it? Are you Ishida-san's brother?"

"Yeah." Takeru stood up straight having finally caught his breath. "Is he okay? Tai said he was pretty shaken up and that someone had broken into the house."

"He still seems pretty shaken up. You and everyone else are welcome to stay at my place. I didn't think Takato should see… the scene. Where are Kari and Takato by the way?" Taichi answered the question out of turn.

"Pardon me," Daisuke interrupted Tai, much to the displeasure of the curious brunette. "It would greatly benefit the investigation if you would come with me to answer a few questions. A specialist is, still questioning your brother. He should be done by the time we finish up our interview."

"A specialist?" TK raised his brow as the policeman ushered him off to a room behind the front desk.

**XXX**

Takeru had never been the type to get in trouble with the law. Sure, he had once gotten caught at a party filled with some underage drinking. But he hadn't even known the punch bowl was spiked until far into the evening. Either way, the boy had never received much more than a cop car ride home. So the bright lights and uncomfortable metal chair connected to the floor of the interrogation room unnerved the novelist.

"It's nice to meet you." Atsuo stepped into the room and took a seat across the table from TK. "I am detective Atsuo, the lead investigator on this case."

"It's uh… nice to meet you too, Sir. If you don't mind me asking why have you asked to question me? I wasn't even in town when the incident happened. And I can promise you that no one who has access to my house would do such a thing."

The man nodded his head in agreement but seemed to be harboring some kind of silent disbelief. It was almost as if the old detective knew something that Takeru didn't. He tried to think back on who might have disliked Suki. That had to be it right? No one really knew Yama was in town, so whoever did this had to have some kind of strange problem with the dog right?

"My neighbor on the left side was angry with Suki for digging up her flowers a few times… but she would never do this kind of thing." He didn't know the true horror of the incident, but Tai had left him a good enough summary on his phone's voicemail.

"Actually," Atsuo stopped the flustered boy and let his tone drop into a supposedly therapeutic level. "I want to explain some things to you. I know that you have been letting your brother live in your home with you and your son. For your safety I think you need to know the current state of the investigation."

"Our safety?"

"Our officers surveyed your home and found that there was no sign of a break in. Even the murder weapon came from your kitchen. Multiple officers from our regiment and those handling the car bomb case have mentioned the strangeness of your brother's behavior. He believes that a stalker is following him and possibly behind these two incidents. But it is the opinion of our officers that Ishida-san may be suffering from some sort of disorder."

"Wha- What?" TK blinked as the information washed over him. "A stalker? Did he see this stalker? Is there some kind of look out for him or her?"

"Neither your brother or his friend have actually seen this person. We learned of his existence only because his friend mentioned the man or woman has been sending Ishida letters."

"Do you have the letters?"

"We have asked Ishida-san to produce the letters and have our specialist look at them." The man leaned forward and stared into Takeru's eyes as he let blunt words come rolling out of his mouth. "Your brother has been showing signs of withdrawing from the world, depression, rage, high anxiety, and a sense of persecution so strong he may have blown up his friend and killed an innocent pet."

"Wait a minute!" TK shook his head and tried to reason with the cop. "Are you trying to tell me you think Yamato is some kind of monster? You honestly think that he could be crazy enough to hurt one of his best friends and murder a dog?"

"Please, calm down. That is just one of the possible theories. There are other probable explanations out there, but for this moment that is our most likely theory. And for the safety of you and your child we recommended that you consider putting him in a different location."

The young man rubbed his forehead as a headache began to grow. How could the police think his brother was crazy? Yamato had been acting a little different than normal, but how was he supposed to act after watching his friend blow up? Then again, how could the same person blow up the car _and_ break into the house without leaving evidence? Takeru hated himself for it, but inside his chest he felt the slightest twinge of doubt. For a moment, he let himself consider the possibility that his son could be in some sort of danger. He could never turn his back on his brother… but he could never put his son in danger and live with himself.

"My brother is not crazy." TK furrowed his brow and tried to ignore his internal battle. "If he says there is a stalker, I believe him."

"We will continue to investigate all possible leads." Atsuo grew wistful as he leaned back in his chair. "And we do not believe your brother is crazy. He may be suffering from a chemical imbalance and be unable to process things right now. He does need your help, but I recommended you think about the safety of your family before acting."

**XXX**

By the time Takeru was released from the interview room, Taichi was more than itching to get out of the police station. He had expected the officers to work some kind of law enforcement miracle and catch the psycho following Yamato, but they seemed more determined to paint Yama in a horrible light. It was almost like they expected him to be some kind of escaped mental patient.

When the musician had left his questioning, he had appeared rather worse for the wear. Smeared across his pale face had been a look of desperation that sent pangs of sympathy pains through Taichi's chest. He could only imagine how the cops must have treated the poor guy. He was the victim in this whole thing and they were giving him the fifth degree! The poor boy hadn't even said a word to Tai as he wandered past him and to the bathroom.

"Where is Yama?" TK approached the brunette and seemed to share his brother's look of desperation.

"He went to the bathroom. How did it go?"

"They think my brother is off his rocker and that he might have been behind the car bomb and the murder."

"What the heck?" Tai rubbed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "Any other good news?"

"Well, they can't keep him here for lack of evidence and I was warned he may be dangerous to keep with me." A quick eye roll told TK exactly what Tai thought of that situation. And the blonde couldn't disagree with his soon to be brother-in-law. Things may look bad, but that didn't mean Yama was crazy. If he sold his brother out then no one would stand up for the boy. "Even if they say it is dangerous, I am taking my brother with me. Yamato needs his family now."

"Don't worry about it." The boys turned their heads as the tired musician walked out of the bathroom. "I appreciate the thought TK, but I am not going home with you."

"We can stay at a hotel Yama. Everything will be okay, I promise."

Yamato smiled softly at his brother and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. If there was one thing he admired about his baby brother, it was his ability to always remain hopeful. But mere hope was not going to get them through this. For once, there was a problem that seemed possibly hopeless.

"You aren't crazy Yama…" The younger blonde tried again. "I'll put us all up in a hotel and we can get some sleep. Then we will fix everything in the morning."

"No Takeru," He patted the boy's shoulder and took a step back from the group. "Crazy or sane, there is still someone out there who knows where I am. And it is pretty obvious that he is not going to leave me alone. The only safe thing to do is for me to go."

"You can't leave without a trace again Yamato." Tai grabbed the boy's hand firmly and laced his fingers with Yama's own.

"Tai…"

"No." The brunette stared at his friend's face with a primal level of protectiveness. "You and I can go to a hotel or my place or anywhere you want. But I am not leaving you alone. Not now, not ever."

* * *

**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out guys. I had trouble getting it just right… or at least to a point that didn't seem to strange lol. I did enjoy the choppiness of the chapter since it kind of reminded me of the fast paced action surrounding investigations. Hope you guys enjoyed this one and will stayed tuned for the next chapter. : )**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

**Thanks to all my wonderful readers and reviewers! ^.^ You guys rock!**

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Sora perched on the edge of one of the queen-sized beds with a look of confusion splashed across her face. "You were avoiding me and acting strange all this time because of a psychopath who sent you threatening letters and tried to blow up Miyako?"

Yamato had barely spoken since the entire group had arrived at the hotel suite. The place was smaller than Sora's mini mansion suite, but it served its purpose. The purpose so far being to make sure everyone had a seat during the catch up session. Takato was passed out on the other queen bed with his dog's favorite toy clutched in his chubby little arms. The boy hadn't taken the news that his puppy went to dog heaven well at all. And Yama was pretty sure the boy was blaming him for the incident, and rightly so. Sora and Kari sat on the opposite bed and kept worried stares focused on the man of the hour. Tai sat in a chair next to Yama's own while TK and Maro tried to share the mini couch in the corner of the room.

"The police think it is just me playing mind games…" Yama reminded her.

"I know what they think." Sora practically snorted as the outlandish idea crossed her mind. The police had already questioned her thoroughly about the investigation and decided to inform her that she too could be in danger. Yamato dangerous? What a lode of malarkey! "But I know that isn't true. You would never do something like that."

"But what if I did?"

The room was quite for a moment as Yama's question hung in the air. No one made eye contact as they all took a full minute to try and digest the words. They had each wrangled with this question on there own, but it hadn't been put forth by Yama before. It seemed easier to deny Yama was crazy when others asked the question.

"Stop it." Taichi furrowed his brow and starred at the boy. "Just stop it Yamato. You didn't do any of this. You know it, I know it, and we all know it. Besides you couldn't have even rigged a car bomb. You wouldn't know how."

"What if I went into some kind of psychotic trance and did it all?"

"Damn it Yama…" The boy rubbed his forehead in frustration; "You still couldn't have put it on the car or set it off since you were with Miyako in the restaurant."

"The police said last time it could have been a petty thug paid to set it up. Apparently they are pretty cheap…"

Taichi put his head in his hands and let out a long frustrated sigh. Did the blonde want to go to jail? Why was Yamato trying so hard to find loopholes in his explanations? None of this was Yama's fault. The singer hadn't asked to be attacked by a strange stalker. But the way he was going on the cops would throw him in jail for sure. Which would put him away from everyone he loved… Could that be it?

"Yama," Kari spoke up slowly and tried to keep her tone calm and gentle. "I don't know if there even is a psychological term for that kind of trance. You really are innocent I bet."

"There is something." Maro spoke up from the love seat and spared a glance at the haggard looking musician. "It could be something like multiple personality disorder. People suffering that disorder often suffer bouts of amnesia when the other personality takes over. Maybe the stalker is a different personality?"

"Whose side are you on anyway?" Tai shouted at the bodyguard.

"Calm down Tai." Hikari shushed him and got up to check on the sleeping child. "He is just trying to talk about all the options."

"That isn't an option. Yamato being crazy is not an option. You all have to see that."

The crowd once more took to their silent considerations. Each mulled the clues laid before them and tried to summon a solution that would appease every member of the group. But there were just too many holes. Without more evidence of the stalker they, and probably the police, were out of luck.

"The police are going to search my home for bomb evidence." Yama spoke up slowly and ran a hand through his hair. "If I really am behind this they will surely find something. If not, I'll try and believe you are right Tai."

"I am right Yama."

"Either way," Sora leaned forward and rested her hand on the boy's knee, "I'll be there for you Hun."

**XXX**

By that Wednesday, the police had still yet to contact the boys about finding anything incriminating inside Yamato's apartment. Tai took it as a good sign that his blonde friend would soon realize the truth, while Yama merely waited for the anchor to drop. Spending the hours pacing the hotel room floor were beginning to take their toll on the once golden haired musician. By the second morning, his pillow had contained about three strands of gold. Of course, when you ate less than a sparrow and swallowed only a few ounces of water a day, hair loss was not uncommon.

Tai had taken his vacation early in order to stay beside Yamato, but he was having trouble handling his sinking crush. Nothing the brunette could think to try would bring the boy out of his funk. As much as he cared for the musician, the overwhelming pressure of depression in the hotel room was beginning to swallow him whole. It had been that reason he gave in when TK offered to stay with the boy while Tai got some air and went to his newest police questioning.

The station was crowded as always, and the outside was growing brighter as the photo hogs tried to snap pictures of Sora leaving the place. Tai trusted the girl when she told them that she had kept mum on Yama's location. It wasn't her fault that she brought paparazzi out of the woodwork. And it wasn't her fault that the cameramen and women had theorized Yama must be nearby if his on-and-off again girlfriend was going to the police. Sure, it wasn't her fault… but it didn't help either.

"Hey Tai." Sora spotted him as soon as he got past the entryway. She was dressed in a pair of large sunglasses and a floor length halter-top dress. "How is he?"

"The same." The brunette rubbed his eyes and leaned against the ugly painted wall of the station. "The police tell you anything new?"

"Their web of conspiracy is growing." Maro stepped forward and placed a hand on Sora's bare shoulder. "It seems they are widening the circle to include Sora and myself."

"And you too, Tai."

"What?" The boy stood straight and stared at them with disbelief. Had the whole world decided to go insane? "Why the hell would they think we did anything?"

"Tai, calm down." Sora reached out and tried to pat his shoulder. The last thing they needed was the cops and civilians milling around the station to hear them argue. The underpaid photo takers outside the glass windows would take care of that. "I think it is a good sign."

"How the hell is that good?"

"Well it isn't good for them to be hitting a dead end, but if they have shifted focus off Yama he must be looking less suspicious. And once they clear those close to him they will move on to the real target."

"We don't have that much time." Tai hissed with impatience. "The way Yama's going he'll probably put himself in a hospital before they can catch anyone."

"I know it hurts Tai." Sora furrowed her brow and let her own impatience get the best of her. "You aren't the only one who is worried sick about him! Yamato has been my best friend and lover for years. It kills me to see him waste away like this and not be able to comfort him! But you aren't helping anything by being so blockheaded. As much as you may hate it, we have to let the police do their investigation and catch this person."

"If you really loved him you would be at that hotel room trying to get him to eat something or move from the bed!"

Tears welled in the corners of Sora's eyes as she and Tai continued to let their sleep deprivation run their minds. "Some of us are to busy working to pay the best private eyes in the country to help the police!"

"Oh, yeah. That has worked out so well so far!"

Before Tai knew what had hit him, Maro's large hand shoved his chest causing him to back up quite a few steps. The wall met his back hard and forced the brunette to cough as his lungs tried to recover. The giant man stood in front of Sora with a death glare aimed at the soccer player. Apparently, Maro was never off duty.

"Maro," Sora quickly wiped the one tear that fell and placed her tiny hand on his forearm. "It's okay. Don't hurt him."

"I don't need your help." Tai furrowed his brow and pulled his sore carcass off the wall. "Yamato and I are fine without you or your detective."

As the group disbanded in a huff, both party members missed the inquisitive eye of Daisuke. The fuzzy headed detective watched as the starlet and her monster man battled the paparazzi outside. She seemed too distracted to even call off the brute when he got a little rough with one or two of the cameramen. Inside the station the other suspect wandered towards the interrogation room with a slight limp. His hand snuck behind him to rub what was probably a pretty sore back. There was no doubt; they were all acting and behaving rather suspiciously.

**XXX**

When Taichi made it back to the hotel, he was in a rather foul mood. If he ever saw that actress or the police station again he would scream. It shouldn't be this hard to figure out who was stalking Yamato! Was it so hard to ask for a competent detective and a decent clue?

"Damn law enforcement…" The brunette mumbled a few more choice words under his breath as he entered the room with a card key.

Sprawled on one of the queen beds was a pale Yamato dressed in a simple pair of sweat pants and a black t-shirt. His hair was completely disheveled and his hand was clutching what looked like some piece of fruit. Tai walked over and stroked the boy's hair before pulling the non-bitten fruit and placing it on the night stand.

"He wanted to try and eat, but his stomach hurt to much." TK spoke up from a chair in the corner. On his lap was a passed out Takato, still clutching the dog toy tightly.

"Your back." Kari smiled brightly at her big brother as she exited the hotel washroom. "I was starting to get worried. TK said your appointment started at three and he hadn't heard from you after six hours. Did the police keep you long?"

The brunette plopped down on the other queen bed and pulled off his sneakers. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and tried to think of something intelligent to say. What would they think of him if he told them he had lied about the appointment time? That he just needed a break from the stress of looking after Yama. Wouldn't that make him look like the world's biggest jerk?

"Tai," TK leaned forward gently and patted his knee, "You know that I am always here to stay with Yama. If you need a break I can always stay here. Besides, Yamato is probably tired of having babysitters. I bet he wouldn't mind having some time to himself if you needed to go out and relax for a bit."

"Thanks TK… but I just, I need to be here." He sighed and shook his head gently. "It is tiring and a little frustrating at times… but he needs me. I can't let him down now, no matter how tired or stressed I get. I won't let him down like that Sora."

"Please don't overdue it Onii-san." Kari hugged her brother tightly, until the boy flinched slightly. "Ignoring your own needs won't make Yamato any safer."

**XXX**

It was impossible to sleep. Simply impossible. Each time he closed his eyes and waited for the sweet release of sleep to overtake him, it never came. The few times it did his dreams were filled with monstrous images of car bombs and death. It seemed no one was immune from the nightmarish visions. He had watched everyone from his parents to his new crush lay in agony at his feet with blaming eyes. In each dream it was the same. The death was always his fault.

The lack of sleep had given the musician some time to think things over. Even if the stalker was not him, his or her actions were still on Yamato's head. The stalker wanted Yama and Yama remained with those he loved. That action had already cost a dog her life and Miyako's ability to walk. Those actions had been because of Yama. Ergo, the problems that surrounded everyone he cared about were his fault.

When Taichi had returned to the hotel that night, Yama had been able to certify his beliefs. The brunette had fallen for the fake asleep bit and let himself admit how stressed he was to Kari and TK. Hearing the toll this whole event was taking on Taichi forced Yama's heart to cringe in pain. The last thing he wanted to do was torture Tai. Heck, even if he wasn't the stalker he seemed to be doing a pretty good job at making everyone else feel miserable. All it took was one sentence. He could hear the stress in their voices. All of their voices.

Once Tai had bid the couple goodbye and settled into the adjoining queen bed, Yama pulled his body up and tried to gauge if the brunette was asleep. Taichi lay shirtless on the bed and Yama could see his back gently move up and down as slow breaths left his body. The boy was exhausted and needed to get some sleep. Yama pulled the cover off his bed and laid it gently over Tai.

"Yama?" The boy mumbled and stared up at him with half opened eyes.

"Shh… don't worry. I'm just…" He paused and looked around the room. "Going to the restroom."

"Oh, okay…" Tai let his eyes close and fell back into a deep slumber.

With Taichi taken care of, the singer turned his attention to the room around him. If he attempted to use the front door his guard would be up in a second. Tai had memorized that noise to the point of insanity. To avoid that, he turned his attention to the bathroom. Lucky for him there was a good-sized window above the commode.

Once he made it inside the room, he locked the door behind him and put the lid down. The window was old and tried to stick to the silver edges. Undaunted, he gave it a good shove and the item popped open. The blonde stuck his head out the window first to see where he would land. Luckily a trashcan was stationed directly under his window. It almost seemed as if fate was telling him this was the right choice. He was doing the right thing to leave Tai. The brunette would never be safe with him… and Taichi's safety meant so much more to Yama then his own.

The climb out of the window was complicated, but the boy made it with little difficulty. And more importantly, he made it out without making much noise. He walked the length of the hotel building and tried to figure out where he should go. The wallet in his pocket was filled with credit cards, but using them would tell everyone exactly where he was. A few twenties were rolled up in the leather billfold, and seemed as good a choice as any.

The taxi he flagged a block from the hotel was more than happy to take him as far as forty dollars would go. Unfortunately for the singer, forty dollars only got you to the lower class side of town. There were bars on every storefront and only a few working streetlights. The entire place looked like hunting grounds for serial killers.

"This is as far as forty will take you." The man grumbled.

"Why did you choose this place?"

"Look kid, forty dollars will take you only so far. The other side of town has the same places. So fair is fair."

"You wouldn't happen to take credit cards?"

"Look buster," The man flashed a small handgun, he kept for protection and stared at the boy. "I don't know what kind of drugs you are probably on looking like that. But your money ran out and now you have to get out."

Yama exited the car quickly and watched the driver turn around and speed away. Well this was great. Then again it served him right for getting a cab and having no destination. The driver kept his end of the bargain. It wasn't his fault Yama had done something stupid. No, it was once again Yama's own fault. How did he keep doing this to himself?

A large black SUV drove up to him, putting the boy on edge. He stepped back from the curb expecting the owner of the car to be some type of angry gang leader. But as the passenger window rolled down Yama was surprised to see a familiar face. "Maro?"

"Yamato, Thank goodness." The large man leaned over and pushed the passenger door open. "Tai told us that you ran away from the hotel room. He has everyone looking around the city for you."

Yama stepped closer to the car, "Tai called you?"

"No. He called Sora up. She and the rest of them are looking on the other side of town."

"But Tai was angry at Sora." Something was starting to smell fishy. "When I left he was fast asleep… Tai wouldn't have just woken up…" He began to back away from the car but was stopped when Maro's arm shot out and grabbed hold of his wrist.

"Look, I know you are scared but I will take you back to Tai. We are all worried about you Yama."

"Let me go Maro." The blonde struggled and tried to pull his skinny arm out of the giant's grasp. "I don't want to go with you!"

"Be quiet Yama…" Maro's voice started to shift, as his grip tightened, "You don't want to wake the entire neighborhood."

The blonde let out a scream as the grip tightened and Maro tried to pull him into the car. His feet and free arm swung madly to try and keep himself out of that black car. Yama didn't understand what was going on, but he had a feeling if he got in that car he wouldn't be getting out anytime soon. All of his struggles proved to be in vain as Maro produced some kind of metal device and stuck it to Yamato's side. A sudden bolt of electricity shot through him and his world turned black.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.**

**Thanks to all my awesome readers and reviewers! You guys rock! **

**We now get to revel in a little more drama and delve into some investigative work. : )**

* * *

When the sunlight filtered through the thin hotel blinds, Taichi shifted in his sleep and tried to pull the covers over his head. The last thing he wanted was to wake up and face another day. For now, he was content to snuggle into the comforter wrapped around his body. Then again, how had he gotten that blanket anyway? The last thing he remembered, he had laid down on the bed without any cover.

Slowly, he forced his sore body to sit up from the lumpy mattress. The bed creaked under the weight of a shifting body as he looked around the room for some sign of life. There was no way to hide in the small hotel room. If you weren't in the bedroom/living area you had to be in the restroom. Tai tilted his head over to the bathroom door and spotted a thin line of light at the bottom of the shut door.

So, Yama had gotten up and gave him the blanket from the other bed. The idea made sense in his groggy brain. Because, if he pushed himself, he could recall Yama saying something about going to the bathroom. Whether it was the sleep deprivation or the truth, he wasn't sure. But it felt like Yama had spoken to him just a minute or two ago, and that put his mind at enough ease to lie back down.

**XXX**

Sunlight brought Yama to the present and forced him to open his eyes. Against his lips was something that felt suspiciously like a plastic floor mat. He shifted a little and found that both his feet and hands were tied behind his back. How had he ended up stomach down in a car floor? The blonde turned his head and glanced upwards to see the front seats and their occupant.

Maro.

That was how he had ended up in this position. Suddenly the night's events caught up with his muddled brain. Running away from Tai, taking the horrid taxi, and then being wrestled into a black SUV by his best friend's bodyguard. Had that ass tased him? The last thing he remembered was being electrocuted by some kind of device. Where would Maro even get such a thing?

"What the…" He paused as the car rolled over a bump and shook his body. "What the heck are you doing Maro? Just untie me and drop me off wherever we are."

"Don't think so." The boy's response was cold and seemed almost calculative.

"This isn't funny!" Yama shouted through his dry throat.

Maro pulled over the car and turned to his passenger seat. Yamato was unable to see what he was doing at first, because of the angle. He craned his neck for a better view as the Giant continued to fiddle with something. Without a word, Maro held up a syringe and examined the liquid contents inside. Yama froze for a second then tried to desperately wriggle free from his bonds as the larger male turned his attention to the singer.

"It isn't supposed to be funny." The boy grinned wickedly at his prey and stabbed the needle into Yama's upper arm. "Now just go back to sleep and leave everything to me."

"Bastar…" Yama mumbled as a strangely quick paced fog shrouded his body and mind.

**XXX**

When Taichi awoke for the second time, he felt a little more rested and was willing to get out of bed. Of course, it was not a fast process by any means. With snail like speed, he slid from the covers and plopped onto the floor. The young man drug his feet across the floor and knocked on the bathroom door. If he were lucky Yama would be just about finished.

"Yam-" The brunette yawned and knocked again, "Hey Yama, you almost done? I need to use the bathroom."

No answer.

"Yama?" Taichi furrowed his brow and knocked a bit harder on the doorframe, "Are you okay in there?"

In all honesty, the boy hadn't been looking good for quite a while. But Tai had known better than to pester Yama about it too much. Okay… he had learned not to pester the boy quite as much after Yama had snapped at him a few times. How were you not supposed to pester someone in that condition to eat? Tai doubted there was anyone in the world that wouldn't have done the same. For now, he just prayed that Yama was not passed out on the tile due to lack of energy. Of course the boy was taking far to long to answer Tai to disprove that belief.

"Yamato." The brunette called louder and banged harder still on the door. "This isn't funny. Say something or I will have to come in."

The knob moved little when Tai tried to wiggle it proving the blonde had locked the door. Why would Yama do that? They had been in this hotel for days and the only door they had ever locked was the front door. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself, but there was something about this whole situation that stunk.

"I'm coming in Yama. If you can, back away from the door." The headstrong lad took a few steps back and ran for the door. The wooden item did not make a move unlike Tai, who quickly moved his hand up to his shoulder and cupped the sore joint. That had always looked so easy in the movies! He stepped back once more and rammed the door with his other shoulder.

"Damn! Damn! Damn!" He cursed and tried to comfort both of his sore shoulders. What the hell did they make doors out of in this hotel? "Don't worry Yama. I'll get the manager to unlock the door. Just hold on."

**XXX **

The next time Yama came to, he was suddenly in a different position. Multiple zip ties kept his wrists and ankles attached to the four bedposts. Below his tired body was some kind of plastic sheet that crinkled when he looked around the room. What had he walked into? And where the heck was Maro? He had multiple questions that needed to be answered, but thinking was proving to be rather hard when his thoughts could not stay in a cohesive pattern.

"You're awake already?" Maro entered the room from the bathroom and walked up to Yama's bedside. "Looks like someone might need a bigger dose."

"Stop this Maaa…"

"Don't worry about the slurred speech. It isn't a permanent side effect." The big man turned to the other bed and opened up a silver case housing his mad scientist supplies.

Unlike in the car where his view had been rather obstructed, Yamato had a front row view now. Inside the case he could see multiple vials of unmarked liquids, empty syringes, bottles of pills, and various odd items. Had Maro just robbed a pharmacy? Without a rather illegal purchase on some black-market, Yama couldn't think of anyway a normal citizen could get their hands on such materials. Surely he didn't intend to use that stuff on… Why was Maro filling that syringe?

"Stop thiiii…" The musician tried in vain to yell for help, but his words were garbled and his voice felt unfamiliar. Try as he might it was impossible to get a good scream to escape his lips as Maro leaned forward and stabbed a new needle into his arm. The eerily familiar feeling of swimming in nothingness entered his head and caused his blue eyes to loose their ability to focus. "Helllppp…"

"That is what I intend to do." Maro stroked his hair as the drug took its disabling effect. With great care the Giant reached into his case and pulled out a makeshift mouth gag and placed it over the boy's face. He made sure that Yama could breath through his nose by watching the boy sleep for a few minutes, and then went about his own business. This was just the start of a very long plan.

**XXX**

The front desk attendant took an eternity to make it to the first floor room. At least the Brunette was pretty sure the middle-aged man had taken a lifetime and a half to make it five doors down from the lobby. Hadn't they realized that this was important from his phone call? Taichi had taken great care to let them know that someone was most likely passed out in the locked bathroom. But did that move anything along? No. If only he could have let them know that the passed out occupant was a hugely famous music star.

"Almost got it…" The plump attendant sat in front of the knob and tinkered with its lock mechanism.

"Please hurry up. The longer we wait the more trouble he could be in."

"It would go a lot faster, but it seems like the door is jammed too. Like someone tried to crazily run into it. Damn kids…"

"Heh… Yeah, crazy kids." The man got the lock to click and opened the door a few inches. Tai shot forward and tried to find Yama's unconscious form on the floor.

"Where is your buddy?"

"I… I don't know." Tai stood in the middle of the room and tried to figure out what the heck was going on. Yamato was not some kind of superhero who could just turn invisible. And if he had gone out the door, Tai was sure he would have heard it. How the heck had that boy gotten out without making a sound?

"Looks like he might have gotten himself out by the window." The plump man stood by the toilet and tried to shut the old opening.

"No! Stop! That could be evidence!"

"Evidence of what? Bad housekeeping?"

"Of Ishida Yamato's kidnapping." As the words left Taichi's mouth the plump man let out a low whistle in amazement. Who would have thought a tiny place like this could spark such an event?

**XXX**

Sora had never been the type to dislike people. Heck, she was still friends with the girls who had claimed she would never amount to anything in high school. But Yagami Taichi was testing the very limits of her patience level. How could he accuse her of not caring about Yamato? How dare he say that she didn't care about her best friend!

Yamato had been in her life for so many years that it was impossible to think of him as anything but a staple. Sure, they had been through some rough patches and had a few fights… but didn't everyone? When it came down to it, the blonde had always been there to pick her up and make her feel like someone loved her. She could still remember having their annual always-burned New Years dinner before spending the rest of the night singing drunkenly.

When it came down to it though, Taichi's comments still bugged her. She tried to pretend that it didn't matter what he thought, but in her subconscious she couldn't help but wonder if it was true. She knew she loved Yama, but was she actually doing what was best for him? Could Tai be right that she needed to spend her time in that hotel room instead of throwing herself in her work? It wasn't like she wasn't doing something for Yama. There was the matter of specialist and other detectives to pay, and she doubted Tai could afford that. Besides the singer had never been the type to enjoy being crowded. If someone would have agreed to play, she would have bet every bank account she had that Yama would need space and run.

But when Tai had called her to state that Yamato had in fact gotten out, she was to shocked to offer any kind of told you so. Instead, she had dialed the bodyguard she trusted with her life and asked him with tears in her eyes to escort her to the police station. More than ever she regretted sending her faithful friend away for the night. Maro had tried to convince her to let him stay and comfort her, but she had shooed him away and told him to go enjoy his night while she did some deep thinking.

Upon the duo's arrival at the police station, the paparazzi and newly arrived news vans turned their attention to Sora's taxi. Multiple reporters tried in vain to ask the emotional girl questions about her past lover's whereabouts. Maro furrowed his brow as the men and women tried to stick their bodies into Sora's walkway in an effort to make her stop. He offered each of the journalists a gaze of steel as they walked past. If they knew what was good for them they would keep their microphones to themselves.

"Looks like all the usuals are here." Daisuke greeted the actress and her guard as they entered the police station. "The entire place has been turned into a media circus. Those journalists, if they can be called that, haven't left our station for hours."

"I know the feeling…" She mumbled halfheartedly and followed the young man to a back room.

The conference room was in much better shape then the small interrogation rooms. A large oak table sat in the middle of the area surrounded by plush looking chairs coated in a wine colored fabric. Taichi was seated at the end of the table and was currently answering questions as the police officers around him dug through two shoeboxes. The officers were studying some white pieces of paper that Sora assumed must be the ransom notes.

"Those are the letters aren't they?"

Taichi looked up when Sora spoke from the doorway. He hadn't noticed her enter, but he wasn't at all surprised to see her. They had their differences but this wasn't about them. This was about trying to figure out what happened to Yamato. From the look on the girl's face, Tai was pretty sure Sora agreed with him. Or at the very least, was to worried to argue with him.

"Yeah. The police have been looking over them for clues as to where Yama could be."

"So he is really…"

Why was it so hard to say that word? Everyone had known it was a possibility, but none of them had ever been able to say it out loud without choking on some kind of emotional obstacle. Yamato was possibly kidnaped. Just wrapping her head around the thought felt like an overwhelming task for the young woman. Silently, she prayed that Yama really had just gotten out on his own and was wandering the city for some alone time.

"I don't know." Tai caught on to Sora's hesitation and walked towards her and Maro. "But the letters are hopefully going to be enough proof to warrant a missing person search."

"It is a damn madhouse out there." Detective Atsuo entered the room with a frown placed on his weathered face. He marched across the room and placed his hat on the center of the conference table. "Can someone please tell me how the press got wind of this?"

"The hotel manager couldn't keep his mouth shut." Tai mumbled trying to ignore the fact it was his fault the manager even found out.

"Kobe and Nao go get those photo hogs under control." He watched as two officers hurried out of the room then turned his attention back to the three civilians. "As for you three. We are currently investigating the possibility of the stalker, but as of right now Ishida will be listed as a person of interest."

"You can't possibly think he kidnaped himself." Tai protested, forgetting whom he was talking to.

"I think there may be more to this whole pile of dirty laundry then anyone has decided to share. So if you are willing, I would like to re-interview the three of you. But this time I am recommending a lie detector test. It will be easier to clear you three if you agree to this test."

Taichi raised an eyebrow as the cop tried to talk him into submitting for a lie detector test. Why couldn't they just take him at his word? Multiple cops had already asked him about the events leading up to Yama's disappearance. And he had not deviated from the truth once. Was that not enough information to knock him out of the suspect ring? A small rage brewed up inside his chest as he realized the cops truly believed that he could have done the blonde in or some other horrible deed.

"I'll do it." Sora piped up quickly and gave the detective an affirmative nod. "Anything to help Yama. I have nothing to hide."

"Yeah. Me too!" Tai added quickly as his position of leader received a small threat.

**XXX**

The cops in the conference room were all looking somewhat haggard after three very long interviews. Upon the walls they had placed various clues and bits of information they had discovered from each crime scene and interview. A pin board situated in the corner of the room was decorated with a multitude of colored ribbons documenting the connection each person had to the other. This was definitely the most high profile case the station had dealt with in a long time, and they were determined to solve it like all the others.

"Alright," Daisuke stood in front of the pin board and touched one of the red ribbons. "In summary we have so far narrowed it down to five possible suspects. First off we have Ishida himself. The boy was seen fighting with his manager before she blew up, he was the only one home when the dog was slaughtered, he hindered the investigation of the car bomb, and he has been generally showing signs of mental illness."

"And he has been toying around with Yagami." Atsuo stood up and stared at the pictures on his board. "Yagami is a die hard fan of Ishida, according to interviews with his sister, and knew the boy's family. It wouldn't have been hard for him to have mailed the letters."

"How would he have gotten the bomb set and the letters taped to the boy's car and door?"

"The officers working on the car bomb case found evidence on the scene that points to a well known druggy. They think the star might have hired a local thug to place the bomb. I am sure Yagami could do just as much if he wanted to. Besides, we also don't know if the letters really came the way Ishida said they did."

"There is also Sora." Daisuke's biased support of a soccer great came through as he made a new point. "She has a history of love and hate spats with our missing singer. The girl also has tons of information about the boy's locations. With her money she could pay any convict willing to blow up the car. She might have a key to Ishida's brother's house too."

"So we have a mental case, crazed fan, or a pissed off beauty queen as suspects so far. Who else is on the lineup?"

Daisuke turned from the pin board and pulled out a small piece of paper. He posted the item under Maro's picture, then proceeded to post other ones under each suspect photo. With that task done, the boy started to go down the papers in the same order as their earlier discussion.

"The last one is the most interesting, for a lack of motive to be honest. Maro works for Sora and has known Ishida for years. The two have never had any problems and Maro has even protected Ishida from some past events. He is also the only one out of the group that has a spotless record and good alibi."

"Really now?" This bit of information peeked Atsuo's interest.

"Sora was alone all night at her hotel room. Yagami was asleep in a hotel room with Ishida. But Maro was with his friend at a restaurant. We called in the friend and the man vouched for them. He also had a receipt the showed Maro bought them drinks with his credit card."

"And the police records?"

"Sora has been caught with public intoxication with Ishida twice and Yagami got busted for shoplifting a CD with some other juveniles when he was around seventeen."

"You might have something with the public intoxication." Atsuo nodded his head slowly and studied the pictures on the wall. "It could be very possible that our two fans got in a fight that ended with a missing singer."

**XXX**

By the time Yamato stumbled into consciousness, or something close to it, the room around him was dark. The zip locks on his wrist were beginning to burn as each movement rubbed his ankles and wrists against the strong plastic. If there had only been some source of light in the room he would have been more than happy to try and plot an escape. But as it stood now he had no idea what the room around him looked like. Any memories of the room from earlier in the day had been wiped away by the strange medicine Maro kept injecting into his arm.

The door to the room opened and let in a bright neon glow that lined Maro's body making him look even more intimidating. Yamato's stomach began to churn as it prepared his body for what was probably going to be a horrible outcome. When had the man he trusted turned into this creature? He refused to believe that this whole thing was Maro's idea. Surely, someone had put him up to it. Yama was no saint, and he knew there were probably at least a few people who hated him. They must be behind this whole thing.

"Well you woke up again," Maro smiled at his prey and shrugged off his jacket before closing the door shut behind him. "Sorry I had to leave you alone so long. But we can't have the others getting nosy and messing everything up."

As Yama lay still in the bed he listened to the sound of Maro's oddly calm voice and the click of multiple door locks. Whether or not Maro was the mastermind, he certainly was prepared. A light was turned on in the corner of the room causing Yama's eyes to burn. "Mmhhmmh."

"I know the light must burn. But you'll get used to it." Maro pet Yama's hair and turned on the lamp directly beside the boy's bed.

Quickly the singer shut his eyes and tried to turn his head from the light. Although he couldn't see Maro he could hear the boy milling around the room. A flush of the toilet, a few zippers and snaps of clothes, and a creepily happy whistled tune greeted his ears. Once he heard the click of the Giant's bag, he forced his eyes to open and watched the newly changed boy dig out a water bottle and what looked like a muffin.

"You must be hungry." Maro sat on the bedside and placed a finger over Yama's covered mouth. "I'm going to give you some food and water. You see I will be taking care of you from now on. But if I am going to save you, you need to be good and quiet. Only quiet boys get their gag taken off. Now, can you be good?"

"Mmmmhhh." Yama mumbled and shook his head affirmatively.

Maro gently unlatched the gag from behind the blonde's head and turned to grab the bottle of water. When the man looked away from his captured victim, Yama opened his mouth and began to scream as loud as he could. Granted his voice still felt off and was probably not as loud as it would be on a good day, but he didn't care. Someone who might come over and help him was the only important thing. Fueled by a sudden anger that rippled through his body like a hurricane, Maro shoved the muffin in Yama's mouth stifling the scream. The blonde coughed and tried to struggle against his restraints as bits of un-chewed muffin tried to flood his throat.

Realizing his prey was beginning to choke to death, the Giant pulled the muffin from Yama's mouth and let the boy swallow some of the muffin before putting a new gag on him. The new insurance of silence was a homemade contraption that Maro figured would come in handy until Yama learned to behave better. He took the water bottle and poured some of the liquid over the gag made of rags.

Yamato sputtered and coughed against the rags over his mouth as water was poured onto them. All this time he had assumed the big lug was merely planning to keep him hostage till the crazed ringleader came to collect him. But the look in Maro's eyes as he tried to choke Yama was enough to convince the singer that there was more to this then he originally thought. If Maro hadn't gotten his senses back, Yama was pretty sure he would have been suffocated to death. Maybe angering the man was not the best plan. But how was he supposed to escape if he didn't make some noise and fight?

"Don't worry Dove," The boy rubbed Yama's chest suggestively and gave him a grin, "I will make sure you do exactly what you are supposed to from now on."


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. **

**All right boys and girls of all ages… Are you ready for the newest chapter? : )**

**And I promise review responses will be out soon. Sorry for making everyone wait. **

* * *

When Yamato awoke, he didn't see any sign of his captor. Thanks to a dim lamp in the corner of the hotel room he could see that both his bonds and clothing had been changed. Once white zip ties were now replaced with more festive neon pink bands. Upon his aching body was a multitude of fingerprint-sized bruises leading down to a much sorer lower body covered only in a pair of sweats.

If he angled his head just right, he could spot a pair of boxers and a black t-shirt wadded up on the other bed. His boxers and black t-shirt, to be specific. Silently the boy prayed his brain would repress the memory of last night's events. Whatever new drug Maro had slipped him, through the muffin or water, had definitely turned his muscles to noodles. But it had left his mind with surprising accuracy. Why did the jerk not just knock him out for the whole thing? How could someone do that and look a scared and conscious person in the eyes?

He couldn't let himself think about that. Personally, Yama feared what would happen if he let himself succumb to panic. If he focused on how scared he was at this moment he might never get out of here. Could he possibly die in this hotel room? No! He wasn't going to let Maro do this to him! The ass may have him trapped in this fleabag motel, but he wasn't going to take away Yamato's courage as well. Whatever it took, Yama was going to get out of here. He _was_ going to find his family, friends, and Tai.

**XXX**

Taichi had been unable to sleep. Sleep. It seemed like such a fanciful idea. Who could sleep when someone they cared about was missing and possibly lying in a ditch somewhere… No. He couldn't let himself think that Yama was gone. That blonde boy was stronger than that. Even in his weakened state he had been more than happy to tell Tai off when the brunette bugged him too much. He had to be okay. Tai wouldn't be able to live with himself if Yama wasn't.

Every time Kari reminded him that he needed to eat or drink something the boy wondered if Yama was getting something to eat and drink too. Was the kidnapper taking care of the boy? From the letters Tai had seen the psycho sounded like the type to want to smoother the poor singer. That was good though. At least it gave the man more hope that the crazed stalker wouldn't kill his victim. Then again, maybe Yamato no longer needed to eat or drink anything. The worries of death flooded the boy's brain like acid eating at his fleeting hopes.

"Where is Oji?"

A childish voice broke up Tai's depressive musings and forced him to somewhat rejoin the present. The cops had placed them in a medium sized room that Tai was pretty sure was mainly used by officers who needed to get a little shut eye between cases.

"Why did he go away coach?" Takato tugged on Tai's sleeve and repeated the question.

"He didn't want to go." Tai sighed, still half way lost in his own head, "Someone took him."

"They took Oji?!" The child's jaw dropped in shock as his vivid imagination began to run away with him.

"Tai." Kari nudged the man's shoulder disapprovingly. "He is only five."

With mother-like skill, Kari kneeled on the floor and placed her hands on the tiny boy's shoulders. The child bit his lip and tried to keep a brave face as tears began to well up in the corners of his eyes. She could only imagine how hard this must be on the little boy. TK had tried to find some way to explain kidnapping, but none of the books or websites on parenting explained such a topic. Well at least none of them explained kidnappings of famous relatives by psychos. In her experience with children, Kari had found that genuine comfort and patience was the key.

"Tak, we don't know where Oji is right now. But the nice police officers and your family and friends are all looking very hard for him. We won't give up searching until we find him, because we all love him very much."

"I love Oji…" The boy sniffled and let the tears start to fall down his cheeks. "I love Oji and Suki…and…. and I want them back!"

Sora, Tai, and Maro watched as TK and Kari cuddled the child and tried to calm his heartbreaking cries. The three had little experience with children between them, but they admired the skill Takeru and Hikari had with the little boy. Even as Takato began to hiccup and cough from the stress of crying, Kari rocked him gently in her arms and rubbed his back. In little time at all, the overstressed five-year-old fell asleep and left the adults in silence once more.

"What are we going to do?" Sora rubbed her forehead, battling an eternal stress headache. "If we stay here who will look for Yama?"

"We don't have much of a choice. With this in and out interview sessions we can't get out and post flyers." TK sighed and pet his son's head. "We are lucky they let each of us go home in turn for some sleep every so many hours."

"Seems like the news stations would have the flyer part covered." Maro held out his phone for the group to look at.

Splashed across the mainstream news website was a large picture of Yamato and his guitar. The headline below read simply, _Millions Weep for Missing Singer_. Although the police had forbid the group from talking to the press, the photo hogs had managed to get their story. Tai was pretty sure it all had to do with the damn hotel manager who unlocked the bathroom. The press had known that Yama was in hiding, but now they also knew he was possibly kidnapped. And the brunette was pretty sure at least one member of the group blamed him.

"What?" He asked as Sora's glare finally got the best of him.

"How could you tell them? Do you realize the more they publicize the worse things could be for Yama!"

"You just said you wanted flyers!" Tai stood up and tried to figure out a way to show Sora her idiocy.

"An organized, well thought out effort by the police and us is one thing. You blabbing to Joe Schmo is a completely different thing!"

"Stop this." TK stood up and placed a hand on both of the feuding love interests' shoulders. "You are both tired and stressed. Take a moment to think things over and you will be able to handle things better."

**XXX**

When the door to his prison cell-esque hotel room clicked open, Yamato still hadn't come up with a plan. Most of his time alone had been spent attempting to gather his thoughts and plan how Maro would react to different tactical maneuvers. The blonde wondered if his captor would actually remain civil. Although he had tried to choke him with a muffin he hadn't gone through with it. Maybe Maro wasn't planning on killing him immediately?

"Been such a long time." The tall male locked the door behind him and approached his prey. "You must have missed me."

The gagged singer tried hard not to flinch as the coarse hands of his kidnapper rubbed his chest and shoulders. He wondered where the big lug had gone. Had Taichi noticed Maro's absence? Surely that would clue everyone in that Maro was behind this whole ploy! At least, the blonde hoped it would.

"They miss you too. Especially your little nephew." Maro reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through some things then held a photo of a tired looking Takato resting in Kari's arms.

"Mmmmhhhh!" He screamed through the rags as the realization Maro had gotten close to his family struck the boy like a splash of cold water.

"No, Dove." Maro moved his hand in one quick swoop and slapped Yama across the face. "You don't get it. I am the one in control now. I am the one who is going to save you from yourself."

His right eye stung horribly, but Yama continued to protest by letting out muffled screams and jerking against his restraints. All the planning he had done during the day had left his mind and body. He couldn't bring himself to focus on anything except a blind rage. If that ass did anything to his family and friends, Yama would personally make sure he died a slow and painful death.

"Stop it!" Maro ordered the boy and began to shake him violently. "I own you!"

A blunt smack of the headboard to the back of his head quieted Yama. For a moment or two, he swore his vision left him. Was it possible to die from a blunt blow to the head? Slowly, his jerks stopped and the boy lay almost lifelessly on the bed. Pangs of uncomfortable pressure pounded through his head as Maro poured more water on his rag gag.

"We really aren't that different Dove." Maro smiled as if he were talking to an old friend. "You were the only one who cared. You did more for me than any parent, social worker, or anyone else. And what did you get for it?"

_Kidnapped and drugged_, Yama thought bitterly.

"A broken family."

That answer stumped the singer. He had expected something a bit more psychotic from the giant. Didn't most people in Maro's position have ridiculously simple reasons for their behaviors? Yama was willing to bet that there were more than a hundred murders fueled by simple disagreements over things as stupid as televisions or cars. Could that mean that the lug was a different kind of cook? Either way, Yama did not particularly like to hear Maro talk about his family. The singer rarely spoke of them himself, so he could not fathom a way Maro would know about his past.

"They were so cruel to you that day. They fought right there in front of you and never once applauded your bravery." As a look of confusion washed over his victims face, Maro's smile grew even wider. "You don't remember that night? How strange. A night I will never forget has been washed away from your head. But it is understandable, the pain they caused you. They blamed you. And you blamed yourself as well… You blamed yourself for their divorce and the destruction of your family."

A sickening chill ran the length of Yamato's spine as Maro placed a hand on his covered left thigh. The memories Maro, apparently, cherished started to flow back into the young man's head. Unlike his captor, Yama remembered a much less positive experience. That night he had been able to save the scared child in the alleyway, but he had doomed the rest of his family to a turbulent existence. If Maro was correct on anything, it was the fact that it had been Yamato's fault his family unit broke up. But how did the monster know all this info?

"You never saw that child again." Maro rolled up Yama's pant leg to his mid-thigh, in an effort to expose the scar from his childhood battle. "But he never stopped watching you."

With great care, Maro laid his scarred hand on the musician's thigh scar. The skin-to-skin connection sent the Blonde's brain whirling. How had he been stupid enough to not notice the similarities between Maro's scar and the child in the alley?! Then again, he had run as hard as he could from most of his childhood memories out of guilt and shame. And it wasn't like Maro still looked like the scrawny kid from the alley. Time had definitely offered the bodyguard a chance to grow and physically prosper.

"Thanks to your help, I got out of that hell hole of a home and was able to truly find my place. Foster families can be amazingly easy to manipulate when you know the right strings to pluck. And with a little creative new identity, I was able to place myself right near the person I needed." Maro reached into his case on the other bed and pulled out a pocketknife. He placed the blade next to the scar on his hand, sliced the old wound, and then turned to Yama's scar with a mysterious glint in his eyes. "That incident in time bonded us together. It was a sign. No matter how horrible our lives were then, we were meant to stay together. You were my savior… and now I am yours."

As the knife dug into his scar Yama screamed against his gag. Tears of pain slipped down the sides of his face as the mad cutter continued his work. Part of him remained frozen; afraid that if he kicked and jerked the boy would make the cut longer. Luckily, the knife was dropped after only a minute. Yamato panted as pain from the four-inch gash radiated up and down his leg. Maro took his own injured hand and pressed the bleeding wound against Yama's own. The singer tried to protest, but was silenced by his gag and Maro's lips pressing against the rags.

**XXX**

Although the police had given them permission to go home, Sora and Taichi had remained stubbornly in the hard wooden chairs of the police station. Takeru and Kari had promised to come back up and check on them, but they had no ability to stay at the station any longer. They had to get Takato into some kind of a normal routine and keep post at TK's home in case the singer came back. Even Maro had been sent home to get some much-needed sleep, by Sora. The giant man had looked as if he hadn't slept in ages, and since Sora knew she wouldn't be able to sleep she figured Maro deserved a chance to try and grab a few winks. He had left over an hour ago and Sora figured he was now sound asleep in a hotel room while she and Tai waited impatiently for news.

"Here," Sora looked up to see Tai holding out a small cup of coffee towards her. "The cop at the front desk brought these out from the break room. He put some sugar and a dash of creamer in it."

"Thanks…" Sora took the cup and gingerly sipped the hot liquid. "So, you met Yama through his brother right?"

"Yeah. He has been dating my sister for a long time and I had heard a lot about him from Takato. Why?"

She didn't care for the suspicious tone in his voice, but couldn't fault the brunette for harboring questions. "You two seem to get along pretty well. He even wanted you to hide with him in that hotel room. I figured someone like me would be the last person he wanted there since the news follows me around."

"He likes you." Taichi sipped his coffee, feeling a little lost in this conversation. "I am sure if things weren't so crazy and he hadn't been so stressed out he would have wanted his old friend by his side."

"You really think so?"

"Sure. I don't think Yama likes to admit it, but I think he likes having all the people he likes around him. Takato, Takeru, you, etcetera." Sora's slightly disappointed look in his statement confused the boy, "Is there something bugging you? Did I say something?"

"No. You didn't say anything wrong." Her eyes stared down into the brown liquid. This wasn't Taichi's fault. It was kind of foolhardy for her to think that she could find Yamato and expect their emotions and relationship would be the same. "Tai, I know you and I haven't gotten along to well lately… but I want to ask you something. In case we don't find Yamat-"

"We will find Yamato." Tai spoke up in a reassuring voice.

"Taichi, there is just something I need to know. And you are his good friend… so maybe you can tell me…"

"What is it Sora?"

"Do you think he still loves me? I know we have had our ups and downs… but I know that I have loved him through all of it. I thought once I found him again, we could finally start living the life we had talked about so many times before. But maybe… that was silly of me."

This new request left Taichi in a little shock. He knew that there was a past between Sora and Yama, but he had thought the girl had moved on. The brunette was pretty sure that Yamato had moved past their romance. The boys had never really talked about Yama's relationship with Sora. There hadn't really been time to in all the craziness going around. Tai had just assumed the young girl realized that he and Yama were more than platonic. At least, things seemed to be looking in that direction.

"Well, I…" Tai scratched the back of his head and tried to think of some answer. "Yeah."

"You think he still loves me?"

"Yeah. Your first love always keeps a special place in your heart." _Where had that come from?_ The boy sighed and hoped the girl wouldn't ask any more questions of him. The last thing he needed was to delve further into this awkward conversation. It was not his job to tell Sora that Yama and him were kind of a couple. Wasn't it enough that he had admitted Yamato still cared about the girl?

"Something just came in," Daisuke popped his head into the room busting up the silent musings. "They found Yamato's wallet."

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**I hope you guys liked the newest installment. School started back up and I kind of fell out of practice with writing chapters on a regular basis. Hope the grammar and spelling didn't burn your eyes. :) Hopefully the next one will be super smooth and quickly posted. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. **

**Sorry I have been gone for so very long. Finals have come and school has decided that free time is not allowed lol. I hope you guys like this new chapter and I want to thank all of my reviewers past and present for their support. You guys are awesome and I can't thank you enough for your advice and support. **

**Oh, and I was looking to see if anyone knew a good artist who I could talk to about possibly attempting to draw some of the characters. I'd love to hear from any artists or friends of artists.**

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In the conference room dedicated to solving the disappearance of Japan's rising music star, Taichi and Sora sat in quiet shock and disbelief. On the table rested Yamato's surprisingly well-kept wallet. There was no cash inside, but his credit cards and drivers license appeared to be untouched. After waiting so long for a decent clue, Tai assumed he would be overjoyed. Yama would never leave his wallet just lying around. The brunette knew when he had searched the hotel room for it and come up empty that it had to be with Yamato. So if they had the wallet, where was the singer?

"Where did they find it?" Sora asked after confirming it was in fact Yama's wallet. Apparently the license and credit cards were not enough for the skeptical officers.

"On the other side of town. We had an officer investigating a different report in the area and he stumbled across it."

"Was there any sign of Yama?" Tai balled his fists under the table scared both to hope and not to hope.

"No sign of him. But we are going to be checking the security footage from a few surveillance cameras in the area. And what are you doing?" Both Tai and the officers in the room turned their attention to Sora whose fingers where flying across her phone number pad.

"Oh, I was just telling Maro and TK that you found the wallet…"

The officer's forehead wrinkled as his brows dropped to a new level of disapproval, "This is an ongoing investigation, and celebrity or not, I will not have you leaking out information."

"But I am not leaking information. I am just telling two people who are already involved in the search. Maro isn't going to leak any information to the press."

"That's for sure…" Daisuke entered the room with a paper clutched in his right hand. "Because Maro hasn't even told _us_ the full story."

As the officer laid the paper on the table a silence encompassed the room. All eyes were intently glued to the incriminating image held on the document. How could this have happened? When did the jerk have time to do that? Tai growled under his breath and stared with bloodthirsty eyes at the picture of Yama being dragged into Maro's vehicle.

**XXX**

By the time Maro had finished his sadistic ritual, Yama was feeling light headed and rather nauseous. The giant had bandaged his own hand first and was just now trying to place some kind of dressing over Yama's wound. It was hard to imagine that only a few days before, the man before him had been considered a dear friend. Had Maro been planning this since they first met? All the times they had hung out and played stupid board games, was Maro secretly planning his demise?

"We are one Dove." The man smiled and injected some substance into his prey's arm as per usual. Once the medicine appeared to be taking a relaxing hold of Yama's brain and muscles, Maro untied the boy's gag and gave him another kiss on the lips before leaving to wash his hands.

"Wh…Why…" Yamato tried to force himself to remain conscious for fear he may not wake up again or, possibly, worse that he would wake up to this nightmare again.

"Why?" Maro laughed heartily at the stuttered question and sat beside Yama. "I told you that already. You and I have a connection. We are the only sane people left in this world."

_One of us is sane, _Yama thought with a bitter look at Maro. "Th…They might f…find… us."

"Not where we are going." The man smiled and rubbed his prisoner's chest as if they truly were the star-crossed lovers from his dreams. "You don't have to worry about anyone else finding you ever again, Dove. I will be the only one you need and you will be the only one I need."

Before Yama could make a smart statement that would probably piss off his captor, a cheery tune filled the room. Maro looked over towards the table in the corner and noticed his cell phone screen was aglow. He picked up the device and skimmed the new text message from Sora. His victim had no idea what the message said or who it was from, but he was willing to bet it was not a happy text, judging from the anger rapidly filling Maro's face.

Without saying a word, Maro turned the device off and started packing his few belongings into the medicine case. Yama watched in silence as the boy snapped the case shut and ran to the bathroom. What had that text said to scare him so badly? Was this proof that Taichi knew where he was and would come to get him soon? That would definitely explain the rushed packing.

The giant returned from the bathroom with a wet rag and tried in vain to wash the bloodstains from the carpet near Yama's bed. A large vein was throbbing on the raven-haired man's forehead, and he grumbled random obscenities as the stain refused to fade from the shag carpet. The signs of Maro's stress filled Yama with a mix of joy and trepidation. This had to mean his friends were on the trail, but it also meant his captor was going to be much more volatile. If he could just hold out a little longer, surely he would be rescued.

"We are leaving." Maro announced gruffly after he gave up trying to clean the blood spots. "If I hear one peep from you… Then again."

The man reached into the beat-up duffle bag beside the medical case and pulled out a roll of duct tape. Yama groaned at the thought of having his mouth once again covered. Wasn't it enough that he couldn't feel his arms and legs at the moment? How much trouble could he really cause when he couldn't move his own appendages? Maro failed to follow the boy's thought pattern and ripped off a large section of duct tape to cover Yama's mouth. He tore a few more pieces of tape and bound the boy's arms and legs behind his back. The last thing Yama was able to see was his captor throwing a bed comforter over his body.

**XXX**

"This has to be a mistake…. You must have misunderstood something!" Sora shook her head and stared at each of the doubting faces in turn. "This has to be a mistake!"

"The only mistake was you bringing Yamato's stalker right to him. You might as well have dropped him at Maro's door with a fucking bow on his head!"

Tai seethed as he looked at Sora. Anger flowed from every pour of his body. How could she let this happen? How did she not realize Maro was a psycho?! Deep within the recesses of his mind, Taichi knew that it might not be Sora's fault. But the small cry for fairness was overturned by his desire to finally lash out at someone. There was a strange sense of power that came with being able to identify the culprit. And if the culprit was not present, at least he could yell at the next closest person.

"Settle down." Atsuo commanded in a firm voice. "If you cannot control yourselves I will be forced to place you in the cell block."

Neither young adult knew if the old detective had the power to do such a thing, but neither was willing to test him. Slowly, they both sat down in their chairs and kept a distrustful stare between themselves. Sora refused to believe the man she had trusted for so long could be capable of such an event. While Tai could not begin to fathom how miss world-renowned actress could be so blind. Then again, how had he been blind to the danger as well?

"When was this taken?" Another detective asked from the corner of the room, where they had set up their timeline of events.

Daisuke looked at the date stamp on the picture, "Looks like the night before Yagami reported him missing."

"Wasn't Maro supposed to be with that friend of his at that time?" The detective in the corner brought over a few papers covered in legal jargon.

"Looks like we are going to have to call back in Maro's alibi witness." The creases on Atsuo's forehead deepened as he took in the new information. If they were lucky, they might be able to find the singer in one piece. "Hana go pick up our new witness, the rest of us are going to try and track the bodyguard. I trust Takenouchi-san will assist us in the search."

"Yeah… I guess so." Sora mumbled and clutched her smart phone with growing distress. Suddenly everything seemed a whole lot scarier. She had imagined the crook would be a dark figure, with some sort of crazy look in his eye. But now that she had seen the ugly truth, part of her almost wished she could have her nightmarish perpetrator be the real criminal instead. There had to be some kind of reason for all of this. Maro wasn't crazy, he just wasn't.

**XXX**

When Maro took the cover off of his prey, the boy's sense of balance was slightly restored. He had been able to guess they were driving a long distance based on the car engine noises and the feeling of continuous motion. Of course, he hadn't expected to see hundreds of trees on the other side of their new squatting location. The only forest the blonde knew of in the area was located somewhat close to Tokyo. If he thought hard enough he could almost remember his dad telling him the name of the forest. Chi… something… it had seemed so funny to him as a child. Who knew it was now going to be his new prison?

The giant carried Yama as delicately as one arm would allow. It didn't surprise his victim that the man kept a close eye on everything he did. Although, it did surprise him that Maro became so upset when Yama merely looked at the forest. With a new level of irritation in his voice the man tried to kill any curiosity the boy had about the forest.

"Don't even think about it." His grip on Yama's bruised skin tightened and he shined the flashlight in his other hand at the mammoth sized tree trunks. Within a matter of seconds, at least a hundred lights reflected back at the pair then disappeared. "See that? I have all of my friends out in the woods. They are here to help us, but if they find you out there without me… Well, they might not take to kindly to that, Dove."

If Yama had been able to open his mouth, his jaw would have dropped to his chest. Sure, Maro was crazy, but could he possibly have that many crazy accomplices? Then again, it was hard to deny that the hundreds of lights in the forest were there. They had to have a source. And that source was probably trained men with large biceps and little brains. What had the psycho done? Opened a listing for kidnaping accomplices on Craigslist?

The new motel room appeared to be even sleazier than the last place. In the middle of the room was a queen-sized bed coated in a comforter that looked more stained then designed. The only electrical appliance in the room besides an oddly frilled lamp was a boxy television that apparently needed the tin foil rabbit ears above it to work. On the opposite wall a smell, which could only be described as ghastly, came floating from the bathroom. Between the drugs in his system and the odors of the shack, Yama's stomach began to squirm in protest.

The boy was laid down on the motel bed and left to stew, while Maro continued his work. In all honesty, the singer wondered how no one had seen them enter the room. Wouldn't the sight of a duct-taped individual being dragged into a sleazy hotel unnerve a normal person? Of course, with his luck the hotel owners were probably in cahoots with Maro.

"Don't look so worried." The considerate personality of Yamato's personal psychopath reared his head once more as the man reentered the room with two license plates. "We will stay here until the heat wears off and then keep going into the woods. We can live off the land and not have to deal with anymore people."

As the captor unleashed his wrist and ankle bonds, the boy breathed a sigh of relief through his nose and let the sore appendages stretch out on the bed. Although he was starting to feel his toes and fingers again, he kept them as still as he could for fear Maro would inject him with more drugs. The last thing his mind or stomach could take was another round of that clear liquid. If he, no, when he got out of this experience he would figure out what the hell Maro had been doping him with and have it outlawed… only after Maro got a taste of how horrible it feels, of course.

**XXX**

From the opposing side of the two-way mirror, Daisuke watched Maro's alibi cohort squirm anxiously in his chair. Beads of sweat began to form at the man's temples and he pushed them around his pink forehead with an overused handkerchief. For a medical doctor, Kosuke Hisoka had certainly let himself go overboard on a little to much alcohol and pastries. Pounds of flesh coated his torso and thighs, forcing him to mimic the appearance of a beached whale in the light grey suit he wore. The capillaries in the man's nose had declared war on what used to be pale skin, and announced their victory by dousing his snout in what looked like red paint.

"Hisoka-san?" As the detective entered the room, his suspect immediately straightened in the metal chair and tried to stuff his handkerchief in his chest pocket.

"Officer, is this going to take long? I have rounds to make at the hospital."

"Detective." Daisuke corrected the man and sat down with his manila folder full of papers. "I didn't think a child psychiatrist would be making rounds at this hour of the night."

"I have some patients who were admitted for long term stays, I try and check on them at least once before leaving the hospital."

"Ah, I see. Well hopefully we can get this all sorted out quickly. If you tell us what we need to know, we can set everything else in motion." The detective noted the beads of sweat were starting to reappear on the old man's forehead. "Now, last time you were here you told us that Maro was with you on the night Yamato Ishida went missing?"

"Yes. We went out for dinner and drinks. I gave you the receipt to show that he paid with his credit card."

"So at the time of the abduction, Maro was with you?"

"It would appear so." A smug look began to creep onto the man's face as he began to think he had possibly outsmarted this dimwitted detective.

"Then how do you account for this?"

As the blown up security image was set on the table before him, Hisoka became noticeably agitated. The large man shifted in his seat and pulled out the old handkerchief to blot his pasty forehead. Slightly crooked teeth bit his bottom lip as the wheels in his mind began to spin. So the detective had more in his arsenal then just verbal guesses?

"I'll level with you Hisoka," Daisuke tried his best to keep a confident smirk off of his face as he watched the squirming worm before him. "You are already bordering the perjury territory since it is quite obvious that the story you told our officers was fairly inaccurate. So if I were you, I would start talking. Juries always like helpful liars more than quiet ones."

"Well, I ne…" The man cleared his throat and stared intently at Daisuke. He couldn't argue the fact they had caught him in a lie, but maybe he could still save his own skin. "Detective, I don't see how you can prove that I would be lying from one grainy image."

"Oh, we couldn't." Daisuke shook his head, "That would be near impossible. But the time stamps on your receipt and the security footage from the restaurant cameras proves a more damming story."

For the second time in the fat man's life he had been struck speechless. The new images on the table were glossy, clear, and above all rather convicting. It was obvious from the photos that Maro came and left the restaurant far before the doctor and the giant supposedly had drinks. The doctor had suddenly been placed in a position that he had predicted in his head was rather plausible but not possible. He was smarter then the cops. He had outsmarted them in so many cities before. But none of those cops had even reached a tenth of the evidence this man had.

"Wanna try that plea deal again?" Daisuke smirked and enjoyed the endorphins catching bad guys in their lies always offered him.

"Maro did meet me at the restaurant, but he left before the food."

The detective noted the pained tone his witness used to drag out the facts, but gave him little pity, "Why did Maro meet you at the restaurant?"

"To cover an alibi mainly. And he wanted my bag."

"Your bag?"

"My medical bag. He wanted some items from the hospital."

"Hmm," The brunette riffled through some papers and gave Hisoka a curious stare. "According to our files, it seems a lot of the places you have worked at in the past have been struck with mysterious amounts of stolen equipment."

"I never took those pieces…. I only took a few from the new hospital."

"If you stole from this one, why should I believe you didn't steal from the others?"

"Because the twisted little Maro was the thief." All of a sudden, the doctor began to take on a new personality. It appeared that he was much more willing to discuss his friend's dirty little secrets if it benefited his reputation in some form.

This news struck the detective as a little out of place. Maro couldn't have been at each of the hospitals. Then again, quite a few of the places on the list were low budget centers in the bad parts of the big cities and the robberies had happened years ago. Could Maro have watched Sora during the day then gone at night to take needles from the hospital? And if he was a suspect in so many crimes why hadn't it been on his background check in the national system?

"There was no record of Maro ever being in trouble with the law."

"Of course there wouldn't be," Hisoka furrowed his hairy brow and stared into Daisuke's eyes. "Because the real Maro died years ago. The man you have been talking with is, Jin Tanaka."


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

**Thanks to all of my faithful readers and to my new readers. **** You guys are amazing people and I am so glad you are willing to give my story a try. Hope the quality of the story keeps up with your expectations. **

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The blank screen before the detective was mocking him. He was absolutely sure of it. After talking with the blow hard doctor for over an hour, Daisuke had learned far more then he ever expected to know about Ma… No, Jin Tanaka. Who knew that big lug would have been able to pull off such a complicated plot?

"Alright," With freshly popped knuckles the detective began to type out a story he felt belonged in a dime store crime novel, instead of a police report;

_Jin Tanaka was born to a low class family located in the outskirts of Tokyo. His father left the family when Jin was an infant, and his mother was left with no income to support her child. She began to take in various suitors who would stay around long enough to beat her and abuse her young son. By the time Jin was eight years old he was badly injured in a street fight and taken out of his mother's custody. The next few years the boy bounced around from foster home to foster home leaving a wake of terror, which included multiple physical and sexual abuses of his foster siblings, behind him._

"Poor kid. No wonder he turned out crazy."

Startled, Daisuke turned his chair around and spotted Atsuo reading the unfinished report over his shoulder. How long had the old man been standing there? Judging from the steam floating off of Atsuo's mug of tea it couldn't have been to long. "That poor kid is an adult now. He had a choice to change his life from criminal to clean citizen."

"I have been on this force long enough to know that is a harder change then most people realize Motomiya." A wise expression came over the man's face and silently reminded Daisuke that his partner had been through quite a few complicated cases in the past. "So how did he go from angry foster child to kidnapper?"

"Well, it turns out that he was placed in a juvenile detention center at sixteen after being caught beating one of his foster siblings. His roommate in the detention center was a fifteen year old orphan who looked rather similar to Tanaka; Maro Araki."

"Something tells me this doesn't end well for the real Maro Araki." Atsuo sipped his coffee and said a silent prayer in preparation for what he expected was going to be a deadly story.

"Unfortunately, the real Maro was falsely accused and was going to be released soon before the incident occurred."

"The incident?"

"According to doctor Hisoka, he was caught having relations with the boy. Jin began blackmailing him with photographs of the two in a… _intimate_ position." Just the idea of Hisoka taking advantage of the various teens in the center sent shivers of pure disgust down Daisuke's spine. "The center was in a low quality part of town and only housed about twelve boys between the ages of thirteen to seventeen. On the night of the center's New Years party a fire broke out and killed everyone but-"

"Jin and Hisoka."

"Yes." Daisuke turned back to his computer and pulled up some old newspaper images about the fire. "With at least three pyromaniacs in the center, the investigators wrote the case off as juvenile arson pretty quick. And thanks to the pictures Jin took mysteriously surviving the flames, he convinced Hisoka to lie about who he was."

"So Jin Tanaka officially became Maro Araki and was released from the center?"

"Yup. And since Araki was falsely accused of the crime that put him there, his record was wiped clean and there were no longer any prints of his in the system. Tanaka, who was assumed dead, was taken from the crime registry as well because of his juvenile status and, well his death."

"Damn." The old man puffed out a long, exasperated breath and shook his head in disbelief. All this time he had been running under the assumption that Maro had gotten lucky. That maybe he had hidden his dark side from the world, till he finally snapped. But that was obviously not the case. If anything, it was starting to seem that Maro was extremely intelligent. Atsuo was almost willing to bet that the psychopath had been planning this attack for quite a while. Of course, all that this news really boiled down to was the fact that it was now more imperative then ever to locate Yamato before Maro could complete his plans.

**XXX**

When Maro had finished with his dose of _romantic attention_, the room was still dark and his sore wrists and ankles were not tapped behind his back. It had taken every ounce of mental strength the boy could muster to remain still while his kidnapper went about his business. Part of his mind had called him an idiot for not running right then and there, but his brain knew better. If he fought Maro he would lose, but if he slipped out while Maro was passed out he might make it.

Yama slowly shifted his weight on the bed, freezing only when a slumbering Maro tossed a giant arm around his form. The giant pulled him close and proceeded to nuzzle the nape of Yamato's neck. Inside his chest the boy could feel his heart banging around his rib cage. Could Maro feel the quickening beat of his pulse and the tenseness of his muscles?

"Love yo…Dove." The giant mumbled unintelligibly and fell back into a deeper slumber then before.

Too scared to make his move, the boy lay still on the bed and watched the first few rays of sunlight begin to creep under the front door. If he waited to long Maro would wake up and drag him to a new location or, worse still, want more attention. The extreme soreness that littered Yamato's body from the previous night gave his mind the final push to set in motion the escape plan.

Carefully he slid out of Maro's grasp and slithered off the bed. When he hit the floor the boy grouped in the limited light for his sweatpants. Luckily the clothes he had been wearing before were not thrown to far from the dingy bed. The light began to filter through the blinds as the sun continued to march higher into the sky. Unfortunately that meant no time to look for a shirt.

The plan was almost foolproof, minus the clumsiness of his slightly frozen limbs. Yamato was able to gain a steady momentum as he crawled to the door. He kneeled in front of the wooden entrance and let out a few curse words as he discovered Maro had positioned a padlock on the section of the handle that connected the nob to the wood. How was he supposed to figure out the combination? There was no way to turn the nob as long as that damn lock was holding on and it wasn't like he had bolt cutters handy.

With a furrowed brow, Yama began trying any number combination he could imagine might be significant to Maro. Surely there was a good chance the lock had numbers that meant something special about Yamato. At this point he figured it wasn't vanity pushing him to such a thought but the realization that Maro was more then just a little obsessed. First concert date? No. First meeting with Sora (and Maro since he always tagged along)? No.

As Yama scrolled the dial to a new set of numbers he could feel the pressure in the room mounting. Maro was beginning to stir on the bed, as the lights in the room grew brighter with each passing minute. The large man was mumbling some phrases that Yama couldn't understand, and didn't want to stick around to decipher. As Maro let out a rather loud groan, the boy jerked his now open lock off of the door handle. The item clunked and thunked against the stiff wooden door and forced Maro's eyes to pop open.

"Crap…" Yama's blue eyes grew wide and he tried to grab the nob, but found his sweaty hands were all but incapable of completing the simple task.

Maro bounded across the room in a second and wrapped a thick arm around his prey's throat. Inside his eyes was a new flame of anger that scared Yama to his core. The sleeping giant seemed to not only have been awakened but also pissed off royally. The arm squeezed tighter around Yama's neck forcing him to cough and gasp for air.

"How dare you! How fucking dare you!" The giant thundered and tried to drag his prey back to the bed. "I saved you Dove! I OWN YOU!"

Intelligence flew out the window as Yamato forced his leg to swing behind him as if readying his body to kick a soccer ball over a tall fence. A pained groan met the blonde's ear as the back of his lower leg made contact with Maro's most sensitive region. The giant's grasp loosened for only a moment and the singer ducked his head under the arm. "You…. Don't own me!" Yama screamed the phrase and bolted for the door once again.

Halfway to his beautiful goal, the boy felt something stab into the back of his leg. He let out a shriek of pain and frustration and stumbled to the floor. Not willing to let his prey get lucky twice, the larger male tried to leap on top of the boy and pin him to the ground till the paralyzing medicine would start to take effect. Unfortunately for Maro, he underestimated Yamato's frustration and newly fueled will to live.

The younger male tilted his head swiftly and bit into his captor's wrist with all his might. The taste of coppery blood sickened him and yet fuelled his anger at the same time. When he heard Maro let out a pained roar and felt him lift the other hand from Yama's shoulder, the boy let go of his fleshy meal and squirmed out from under Maro. The stars or gods must have been on his side, because as he escaped the man's clutches he was able to duck out the door with Maro a few steps behind.

Yamato ran as fast as his legs could carry him and ignored the cars honking and swerving to avoid striking him as he darted through the road. Looking back seemed to dangerous and time consuming, so he merely kept up the unrelenting running. With newly found adrenaline pumping through his veins he leapt over the guardrail in front of the forest and continued his barefoot race through the trees. Nothing was going to stop him now. He was going to get as far away from Maro as physically possible. Absolutely no freaking person or thing was going to stop…

The sudden loss of footing forced the boy to give a surprised yelp. Where there had once been stable leaf covered earth, was now a wild slide of dirt and rocks leading to a landing far below. He felt his eyes close and his muscles begin to tense as his plummet down the slope began to increase in speed. What the hell had he gotten himself into now?

**XXX**

"Emergency services, what is your emergency?" The dispatcher's voice came through the line with the trained expertise of someone who knew how to avoid almost any type of panic.

"A half naked man who looked like he had been rolling in soot or something just ran across the road in the middle of traffic. He jumped the guard rail and ran into the Chichibu forest."

"Your name, mam? And can you please describe the man in more detail?"

"I am Tori Sato. And he was tall, blonde, and-"

"It was Ishida-san!" A youthful voice broke into the phone call.

"Sorry, that was my daughter. She seems to think the man we saw was the missing singer."

"Really?" The dispatcher's attention was drawn to a higher degree as the woman and her daughter began to tell an even more strange tale. "Your daughter truly believes that he was the missing singer?"

"Of course he was!" The youthful voice sighed in exasperation as the two adults continued to doubt her assumption. "Everyone who knows anything about Ishida Yamato knows that he has a tattoo of a wolf paw on his back."

The dispatcher was silent for a moment, as he tried to examine Ishida's missing person file. "I'll be darned, you might just have found him. What is your current location? We can send out some officers to search that section of the forest."

**XXX**

When Yamato awoke the sun was staring down at him from the center of the sky. He blinked his eyes slowly to try and gain some balance on the forest floor. After a few deep breaths, the singer pushed himself up into a sitting position and tried to examine any injuries that might have come from the fall. He could see few tears in his pants, but felt an intense pounding coming from his left leg.

Tenderly the boy rolled up the leg of his sweat pants and took a quick glance at the wound. Bruises covered the skin and near the lower half of his shin was an unmistakable piece of bone sticking upward from the torn flesh. The sight of the bone sent wave upon wave of nauseousness through the singer and forced him to turn his head to side and let the pain spill out from his core.

When his stomach had gained a semblance of control over the bile, Yama began to look anywhere but his wound. He glanced up the steep slope that had caused his fall and realized that it probably wasn't to far from the roadway he had originally been running on. That would be a definite problem if Maro were still looking for him. And chances were far greater then good that the giant was going to be furious if he found Yama. Even if Maro didn't find him, the big lug had assured the boy that his accomplices in the forest would find Yama with no problem.

With great care Yamato pushed himself up from the floor and grabbed onto a thick tree trunk next to him. The bark was rather scratchy but the trunk was stable and it allowed him a chance to try and wobble a little on his good leg. If he had some sort of cane he could probably get further into the forest and find a hiding spot. The boy spotted a branch hanging low and tried to break it off with his right hand.

The long piece of wood swayed, but did not break from the trunk. Yama frowned and leaned his whole body weight upon the branch. The item snapped quickly and sent the boy tumbling to the floor. After a few specific curse words, the singer hobbled to his feet and placed the leafy end of the branch under his arm. It took a few tries, but soon the singer had a somewhat workable crutch to support his pain filled left side.

From the top of the hill Yamato heard some rustling noises that sounded suspiciously like a creature shifting through the leaves. He had no idea if the source of the noise was man or beast, but the singer could not risk staying around to investigate the sound further. He had to find some place to hide before any of Maro's goons located him. Silently he hoped his hiding spot would offer some heat, since the temperature of the forest was not exactly pleasant.

The walk into the forest was semi-successful for the young man. He was able to make some headway, but each step with his wooden cane reminded him that his leg was in no shape to go on a hiking adventure. Luckily, a rather large bush came into sight only a few miles into the trek. Yamato dropped to his good knee and pulled his body through the sticker bush and into the safe middle of the foliage. Once his crutch was tucked into the bush beside his body, the boy curled into a fetal type position and tried to force his body into sleep. This was going to be a long adventure and Yama prayed he had the strength to make it back to his family and friends alive.

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**One more chapter down. Sorry this one was a little shorter then the others. ****Thank you to all my readers and reviewers. You guys rock! Also, there actually is a Chichibu forest near Tokyo. It looks really pretty in the pictures. **** Have a great day guys and gals!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. **

**Thanks for taking time to read and review my chapters guys and gals. Songstryss brought up a good point. Yama's feat of strength might have been a little more then a person could usually output in that kind of situation. I ran off the idea that we had no idea whether he was getting food or drink while the story highlighted other characters. And that maybe a nice spurt of adrenaline pumped him into action, as you mentioned. **** Either way, I figure that is how I hope I would be able to fight if someone tried to corner me like that. Thank you for your review Songstryss! And thank you to everyone else as well! : )**

**By the way, has anyone heard the song 'In Someone Else's' Skin' from the musical Catch Me If You Can? It reminds me of what Yama could have been feeling when his parents divorced and maybe how he felt growing up.**

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Large trees lined the roadway like giant castle walls protecting an ancient kingdom. A chilly wind whistled through the leaves and bones of the brunette standing silently by the metal rail. In his eyes were a complex variety of emotions ranging from the rawest anger to the deepest depths of fear. With strong attention, the boy scanned the forest for any sign of human life. Each leaf crunch or cry of an animal brought a quick head jerk in the direction of the noise.

"You really think he is out there?" Sora broke the boy's concentration with a small bit of trepidation. Since the discovery of Maro's possible, but still unlikely in her mind, involvement with Yamato's disappearance the girl had been keeping a good bit of distance between herself and Tai. He hated her 'idiotic hope' that this was all a mistake and she hated his inability to look at the facts of this situation. The fact being this was all a misunderstanding. Even if Maro was in those pictures, he couldn't be this horrible Jin Tanaka!

"Tai?" She prodded the boy again and noted small creases beginning to form on his tanned forehead.

"There they are!"

The girl turned her head towards the sound of a loud shout and watched as a small herd of reporters ran to their position. Each journalist fought for their recorder's spot near the faces of the surprised duo. Bright flashes escaped the equipment of the few cameramen able to get a shot in-between the heads of the reporters. Overall, the entire ordeal seemed rather circus like; Loud and disorganized with a dash of fear.

"Is it true that they found evidence Yamato is living in the forest to escape the technological world?"

"Did your bodyguard really have something to do with his disappearance, Sora?"

"Have they found his body in the woods?!"

Tai's anger was quickly growing to higher levels. A surprising feat for the boy who had been riding off the fumes of the highest emotion levels he thought was humanly possible. As the reporters began to question the possibility of Yama's body lying in the woods with such ease, the boy charged forward and raised his fist to strike the brash reporter. A tight grasp held onto his forearm shielding the newspaper scumbag for one more day.

"Enough." Daisuke let go of Taichi's arm and gave a signal to the officers already nearing the crowd of unwelcomed visitors. "This is an ongoing investigation and you are all trespassing on a cordoned off area. I suggest you leave now, before we are forced to make arrests."

"Damn it all!" Tai broke away from the detective and Sora who were busily watching the crowd being shoved to the outside of the police tape. "Damn! Damn! Damn!"

"Sorry about that Tai. We thought we had caught all the entrances, they must have snuck in through one of the spots the officers missed."

"I don't care anymore!" The disgruntled boy snarled at the officer and placed his hands on the railing to hop over. "This waiting game is idiotic! All this time spent on learning about what a crappy life Maro or Jin or whoever had is not getting us any closer to finding Yamato. You do remember he is the victim here don't you?! And if none of you are going to look for him I am going to do it myself!"

"Yagami, we are doing everything we can to find Yamato Ishida. But there is a process to follow." Daisuke tried to keep his voice calm as he began to recall his past training on dealing with victim's families.

"Screw process and screw waiting around on our asses!" He charged forward into the woods so hell bent on his mission he didn't see Daisuke dart around the side of him.

"I understand you are upset. But you cannot enter the woods until the police have time to search the area for forensic clues."

"Try and stop me." Tai growled out the words and took a step forward without flinching as Daisuke's hand reached for the taser gun on his belt.

"We need to get this sample to the lab." One of the chubbier officers on the force climbed up the hillside and flashed a plastic bag in front of Daisuke. "We found some remains of what looked like bile and a hair sample. Must have been rather recently too since it looks barely disturbed."

Taichi craned his neck to look at the contents of the bag now resting in the old man's plump hands. Although it was impossible to gain a clear view of the item, the boy was almost certain he had seen a patch of golden hair in the bag. What else had the detective said? Something about vomit? Sure vomit was not a sign of good health, but it was a sign Taichi appreciated greatly. For even the most basic science student knew that dead bodies do not vomit.

**XXX**

Yamato awoke to the throbbing pain in his leg and a mental dose of curse words he had forgotten were in his vocabulary. Slowly, the boy shifted his position and stretched out his legs through the bottom of the shrub. There was enough medical training in his past to know that he really should address the wound on his lower extremity, but there was also no use in looking at the wound, throwing up, and possibly passing out. If he thought the soccer injury was enough to turn his stomach, looking at that piece of bone sticking out from his pale leg would probably do him in.

A faint smile passed over his lips as his brain connected the word soccer to a much more happy image. What was Taichi doing right now? Wouldn't he be surprised when Yamato stumbled through the front door of the boy's apartment? _Yes, _Yamato thought and let his body lay still as the flood of peaceful images overcame his brain, _I will make it back and they'll all be sitting there waiting for me. _As he closed his eyes an even clearer image began to form in his mind;

_Taichi sat on the couch with his face contorted in a look of concern and fear. In his hands he twirled a soccer ball nervously. Hikari and Takeru were busy playing with Takato to keep his little mind off the mystery of his uncle's disappearance. The boy giggled wildly as his dad trotted him around on his shoulders. Kari with her ever-present camera snapped images of the happy duo while maintaining a protective watch over her brother. Sora sat in the corner of the room clutching her phone and trying to find the details her thorough personality would want to know. _

_Each one of their heads turned as Yamato entered the room with no injuries plaguing his body. They gathered around him and for once he found himself openly accepting their hugs and almost craving the physical sensation of the warmth his loved ones brought. He caught Tai's lips in a kiss and heard his little nephew groan at the public display of affection. He turned his head to give the child a silly grin, but paused as he noticed the pair of arms holding Takato belonged to a rather unfortunate source. _

"_Wha…" Yamato felt a forceful wind beat against his chest as his family members stepped away and joined around the source of Yama's agony for so many days. "No… No. Get away from him! He did this!"_

"_Hello Dove. We've been waiting for you." Maro stepped forward and brushed the back of his hand against Yamato's cheek sending a shock of painful electricity down the boy's spine._

"No!" He screamed into the forest and jerked upright banging his head on the inner branches of the bush. How had he been so stupid as to not consider Maro might be with his family right now? The jerk had shown him pictures of the worried group sitting in some setting Yamato didn't recognize. But he hadn't considered the fact that Maro may have run back to the family and convinced them someone else had done this horrible deed. There was no choice left but to get out of the forest and back to his family before the mad man did.

Wiggling in a few specific ways freed the blonde from the bush and alerted him that this might be a harder job then he had assumed. Unlike the fantasy Yamato, the real Yama was in no condition to make a trip across the street let alone across a forest. In fact the main thing the real Yamato wanted at this moment was a drink of water. He reached for his crutch and used the bark to pull his body from the floor.

Standing upright brought his brain a new challenge, trying to steady the spinning world. The first few steps were the hardest, but after a few more he was able to work out a small bit of rhythm. As he took his short walk the boy tried to recall an old show he had watched with Sora. Survival something was the title, if he remembered correctly. They had only seen one episode, but he remembered watching a mother save her child by lifting the back end of a car off of the child's body. Back then he had claimed it was just some television trick, while Sora claimed that it was evidence that people could become super heroic if they had the right pressures and a good dose of adrenaline. While Yama did not consider himself heroic in the slightest, he did wonder if this was exactly what Sora meant about the adrenaline.

The sound of water greeted his ears filling his body with overwhelming delight. He shrugged his way through the small amount of bushes hiding the stream from view and broke out into a smile as the liquid greeted his longing eyes. Some animals resting at the other end of the stream darted off in fear of the human trespasser. Yama paid them little attention as he attempted to kneel beside the water on his good leg. The branch supporting him snapped and the boy fell onto the pebble bank surrounding the tiny stream.

Water filled his nose causing the boy to sputter for a minute, but soon he was busily shoving handfuls of water into his mouth. The liquid tasted rather badly and was ice cold, but at this point in his life Yama was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. After swallowing his fill of dirty water, the boy rested his tired head on the pebble-covered ground and tried to fight the urge to sleep. No matter how many times he rested it seemed like he gained no comfort. All he wanted to do was sleep, but he wasn't even sleeping right now. Might as well try again, the boy conceded and let his eyes close once more.

**XXX**

"Where is Takato?" Sora looked up from the shoe she was trying to unknot as Takeru and Hikari entered the scene.

"My parents made it into town and are watching him. They wanted to come help the search, but figured Takato might need a sitter he knew right now."

The engaged couple was decked out in tennis shoes, long pants, and hooded sweatshirts. The temperature of the forest was already starting to drop and the rest of the search party was trying to make sure they layered up for fear of the weather worsening. If the looming clouds in the distance were any sign of the night's future it was going to be a rather soggy search.

"Alright," Daisuke entered the group and motioned to Hikari and Takeru, "You are going to be with the officers on the East side of the area. We want him to hear some familiar voices so the officers will give you a megaphone to use so you can call out over a greater area."

"Thank you." Hikari smiled gently at the officer. She knew this was a tense time for everyone involved, but she and Takeru were determined to keep their composure and help the others make it through. It was amazing to her that Tk could make it through something like this and never snap in front of his family or friends. Although she worried about him holding in the emotions, she also knew that he would confide in her when he was ready.

"As for you two," Daisuke turned his attention to the squabble king and queen. "You will be going with me to examine the west side. Here is your megaphone."

Taichi scooped the item out of the detective's hand and gripped its cushioned handle tightly. It was finally time to get out there and look for his friend. Tai had been waiting for this moment for far to long and he was ready to get the show on the road. "We need to get out there. The longer we wait the worse off Yamato will be when we find him."

As Taichi charged off into fray of detectives getting ready to begin their search, Takeru and Daisuke exchanged a slightly worried glance and took off after the brunette. When the boys were gone, Sora bent back down and tried once more to untangle her shoelaces. Under her breath she mumbled a few particular words, unaware that they were slightly understandable till Kari broke her thought process.

"Um, Sora," The soft spoken brunette bent down next to her idol and offered her an uneasy face. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. I just…" Sora paused and pulled at her laces in sheer frustration. "I don't understand it. He acts as if he is the only one who is worried about Yamato! Doesn't he realize he is not the only one who is terrified? I am scared to death that I might have lost my best friend for the rest of my life, but I know that screaming and threatening the police won't get him found any faster!"

"It is kind of ironic," Hikari placed a hand on Sora's shoulder. "You two have so much in common and still butt heads."

"I know he is your brother, but I have nothing in common with that jerk."

Hikari laughed softly and smiled rather sweetly at the woman whose romantic comedies she had watched dutifully as a teenager. "You are both courageous, determined, stubborn, caring, and above all else loyal."

"You really think so?" Sora's jaw dropped slightly in surprise.

"Sure. Tai has always raced forward courageously to do what he thinks is right. And from what I know of you, you seem to love people so strongly that you can look past any flaw to find their good side."

The knot in Sora's shoelaces came apart as she lightly pulled on the left side string. A new amount of warmth was starting to form in her injured heart. As she tied a bow she thought about what Kari had just explained. Maybe that was why she had been so blind to Maro's secret life? She loved the part of him that was her friend and confidant. The only question now was if that side of Maro really existed. For Yamato's sake, she hoped the kind part of Maro was still alive.

**XXX**

"Yamato,"

The blonde stirred slightly and squinted as his eyes tried to adjust to the world once again.

"What are you doing on the floor Yama?"

The voice was calm and seemed familiar to the exhausted boy. "Wha…"

"We've been looking all over for you." The source of the voice came closer and Yama blinked a few times in disbelief. The person standing in front of him was familiar all right.

"Dad?" He rasped out and reached a hand up for the figure. "Help me."

"That is all I have ever wanted to do, Dove."

A cold hand grasped the boy's wrist as the wires in his brain snapped back into action. That one horrible word had been enough to snap the boy out of his delusion and bring him back to the real world. The image of his smiling father vanished before his aqua eyes leaving the hulking form of Maro.

"No, no, no!" Yama screamed with as much force as his sore throat could muster. He jerked away from the large man, who merely laughed at his weakened prey.

"I warned you." Maro straddled Yamato and pined the boy's hands above his head. "I told you that I would not be nice if I caught you breaking the rules. But I'm willing to give you one more chance Dove. Tell your lover how much you missed him and how sorry you are for being so bad."

Yamato eyed the fanny pack that Maro's other hand kept a tight grip on. He knew there was probably something horrible lurking within the container, but he no longer cared. If this was how he was going to go down, he was going down with courage. "Go fuck yourself." He spat at the monster.

"It seems you need to be taught a lesson Dove." The boy unzipped the fanny pack and pulled out a scalpel. "I tried to warn you. But you are a stubborn little boy aren't you? Now hold still. I'll need both my hands for this part, so we are going to have to keep you still."

Yama's eyes grew big as the scalpel was held over the palm of his left hand. Quickly the sharp blade pierced through his palm pinning him to the riverbed. The boy let out an ear-piercing scream as the pain radiating from his hand and leg joined together to create a symphony of agony. Maro clicked his tongue and shook his head softly as he reached into the fanny pack for another scalpel to use on the right hand. If there was one thing his years on this Earth had taught him, it was to always bring more supplies then you think you'll need.

**XXX**

The trek through the forest had brought few if any results so far. Each of the teams radioed in on the hour markers to report that there had been no sign of any human remains or live humans. Sora had been surprisingly quiet throughout their walk. She offered various shouts of Yama's name, but she didn't try to engage Taichi in conversation anymore. It was as if she realized there was nothing anyone could say to make him feel any better. The only thing that could do that would be Yama.

By the time they reached a rather large bush, Sora spotted a piece of fabric on the ground. She knew better then to touch the item with her bare hands but she still kneeled down to get a closer look. "We might have found something."

Both Daisuke and Taichi snapped to attention and crouched beside the young woman. "It looks like some sort of black fabric."

"He was wearing black sweatpants when I saw him last." Tai furrowed his brow and fought the urge to pick up the item. "You think he could still be in the same pants?"

"Might be." Daisuke pulled the walkie-talkie from his waist and hit the talk button with a bit more excitement then before. "This is Motomiya in the north west section. It seems we might have found some material from Ishida's pants. We recommend the rest of the units meet us at location 40-"

"Wait!" Tai broke into the conversation and stood up from the ground. "Do you hear that?"

The rest of the group listened closely for some sound but heard nothing. Sora cupped her hands behind her ears in hopes that would offer her a better chance of hearing this mysterious noise. "Tai, I don't hear anyt-"

A loud scream broke through the woods and sent Taichi running at full speed towards the sound. From the corner of his eye he could see Sora and Daisuke struggle to scramble after him. His long legs were well conditioned from years of sports, allowing him to leave the other two in his dust.

Only a few feet from the mysterious pant location was a tall row of foliage. Taichi forced his way through and was greeted with a sight straight from his nightmares. Maro had the musician pinned beneath his giant body and was about to prick him with some kind of metal tool. With his fists balled tightly, the boy let out a guttural cry and took off at a run.

His slim body slammed into Maro sending the lug off of Yamato and into the brush nearby. The giant's obvious unhappiness at being interrupted was expressed quickly as he tried to roll Taichi onto his back in order to stab a more vulnerable organ. The young athlete was more then ready to rumble with the large man. He had been waiting for the opportunity to smack the jerk around and get a little revenge for all he had put Yamato and the others through.

By the time Sora and Daisuke reached the stream, the brunette was in a full-fledged fight. Sora spotted Yama's body right away and dashed over to him. She pet his hair and tried to get the boy to look at her. If he would just open his beautiful blue eyes she would know that he was going to be okay. "Yama…" She whimpered his name out and tried to decide if pulling the scalpel out of his hand would make it worse or better.

"Jin Tanaka, the game is over!" Daisuke shouted and pulled out his gun from the holster. "Let go of the boy and come peacefully or I will be forced to shoot."

The two men continued to wrestle around in the grass and leaves. Maro was able to pull a few good punches on his skinny opponent, but Taichi was far from an easy target. The two blended together so well in their kicks and punches that Daisuke found it hard to find a clear shot. Each time he was able to line up a good shot, Tai would be shoved in the way.

"Take the shot!" Sora shouted at the detective as she watched the boys continue to beat each other. Her hands rested carefully on the sides of Yamato's head to protect his ears from what might be a traumatic shooting event. "You have to take the shot!"

Daisuke furrowed his brow and felt drops of sweat fall from his forehead. He couldn't run the risk of shooting the innocent, but if Maro continued his beating there wouldn't be an innocent person left in this scuffle.

"Take the shot!" Tai yelled from the fray and tried his hardest to push Maro away from his body. The giant held onto the boy in hopes he could still use Taichi as a personal shield from the bullets about to come their way.

Daisuke clenched his jaw and pulled the trigger of his gun. The birds in the trees above flew from the scene as the loud bang echoed through the forest. Yamato's eyes opened and he spotted the familiar face of Sora looking down at him. She offered him a tearful smile and stroked his hair.

"It's okay Yama. I promise it will be okay." Sora's voice tried to be comforting, but it was soaked with the sound of fear. The boy turned his head to the side and saw the collapsed mass of Taichi and Maro. A chill went down his spine as the darkness began to claim his mind once more. Passing out no longer bothered the boy, but the fact he was no longer the only one being overtaken by the blackness terrified him.

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**Well, kids we are nearing the end of this story. Who do you think got shot? Will Yama live through his injuries? What will happen next? **** We will all find out soon. Stay tuned for the next chapter guys and gals! **


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.**

**Well kids, here we are in the last chapter. : ) I am considering writing a sequel, with a whole new hosts of adventures for the characters who remain in the end (And you thought I would give away who might die and who might live). ^.^**

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"_1, 2, 3… a hundred! Ready or not here I come!" The tiny boy squealed and took off into the large house. "I'm gonna find you Oji!" _

_Yamato stood behind the living room curtains and made sure he left his shoes peaking out from the bottom. No need to make the game hard for his little friend. The pretend dinosaur growls Takato loved to create joined the other noises of the room, alerting Yamato that his nephew was definitely nearby. _

_The boy couldn't see through the curtain, but he could hear the squeaks of Takato's sneakers on the wooden floor growing louder as the boy edged closer to the screen. Then suddenly the noise stopped. The blonde wondered for a moment if he had truly outsmarted the child. Takato was a pretty bright kid, shouldn't he have been able to spot his uncle's shoes sticking out from the curtain? Yama pulled the curtain aside and stuck his head out of the hiding spot. _

"_Boo." The smiling faces of Taichi and Takato greeted Yamato as he peeked out into the living room. Tai held a giggling Takato on his hip and leaned in to give Yama a kiss. "And you thought we weren't good at this game."_

_Yamato laughed along with his friend and nephew, feeling a comfortable warmth grow in his chest, "Maybe you have some skil… Do you hear that?"_

"_Hear what Oji?" The young boy wrapped his pudgy arms around Tai's neck and joined the coach in giving Yama a curious stare. _

"_That beeping noise…" Yama turned his head to the left then the right and started to notice the room around him was beginning to fade away. "What the hell…"_

"_Maybe," Taichi leaned forward and whispered into Yamato's ear, "It is time to wake up."_

Bright lights took the place of his loved ones kind faces as Yama opened his eyes to the real world once more. Aside from a sore throat the boy felt a strange lack of pain. It had been a rather long time since he had felt this comfortable. He lifted his hand to rub some of the sleep out of his eyes and found the entire palm was covered in some sort of gauzy wrap. Out of curiosity, he turned his attention to the other hand and found that multiple IVs were pumping various fluids into his body.

Beside the IV poles was some type of heart monitor that beeped continuously faster as the entire situation came back to his mind. The last thing he remembered was Tai fighting Maro and having his hand pierced by something. Was this place another one of Maro's secret hideouts? The crazy guy did have quite a large amount of medical supplies, so it couldn't be that far fetched that he had access to a hospital. Had Tai lost the fight and they were sent here?! Who else would stick this many wires and bandages on his body?

The boy wasted no more time thinking and began pulling the wires off of his body and out of his wrists. As the heart monitor was disconnected a loud screech filled the room and brought forth two sizeable male nurses at his door. Fearing the newcomers may be in cahoots with a more wicked power, Yamato began to quicken his attempts to get out of the bed. It wasn't until he tried to lift his leg that he realized a cast was coating a large section of his left leg. How had he not felt that?

"Yamato Ishida!" Sora's voice broke through the calamity as she rushed to his side in hopes of pushing him back onto the bed. "You are in no condition to be moving around like that."

"Ma…Maro…" His dry throat screeched out in desperation, "tak…taken. Tai…"

"Calm down Hun." She stroked his hair and tried to keep his attention focused on her as the nurses began fixing the boy's painkillers and heart monitors. "You need to calm down before you overwork yourself."

"B…but Tai… where?"

Sora sighed and held up a finger to keep Yama quiet for a moment. She slipped away from the bed and stuck her head out the door, "Yagami, get in here."

"It wouldn't have taken me so long if you hadn't ordered such a complex coff-" As the boy entered the room his eyes caught sight of a newly awake Yamato. A large smile covered his lips and he shoved the cardboard coffee holder into Sora's arms. "Yama, you have no idea how long I have been waiting to see those blue eyes."

The brunette rushed to Yama's bedside and clutched the boy's non-bandaged hand tenderly. As far as the blonde could tell, his friend was no worse for the wear. A hairline cut graced Tai's cheek and there were a few bruises on his exposed arms, but Taichi was still in one piece. If Taichi had been the one shot, he was doing pretty well in Yamato's drugged opinion.

"Mar…Maro. Where is… Where… Maro?" A hack like cough escaped his throat as he tried to get used to using his voice after such a long absence. Truthfully he wasn't sure how long he hadn't been using his voice, but he hypothesized it could have been quite a while from the soreness.

"Maro is in another hospital being treated for a rather unpleasant gunshot wound to the shoulder." Tai squeezed his friend's hand gently and mumbled under his breath, "Should have let the jerk die in the forest if you ask me…"

"He did it…" Yama was gaining a little more control over his voice after sipping from a glass of water Sora held up to his mouth. "He did it… Don't trust him."

"It's okay Yama," Tai sat on the edge of the bed and grasped the boy's hand with both of his tanned ones. The gesture was greatly appreciated by the blonde who was currently craving any physical touch that would remind him he was actually awake and no longer dreaming. "We know the whole story. There are guards stationed in Maro's room and he doesn't have any chance to escape. He can never hurt you again. I promise."

Sora watched the boys in silent respect. During the few days that Yama had been unconscious she had thought quite heavily on what Hikari had told her at the beginning of the search. Even if she and Tai didn't see eye to eye on what method was the best option, Hikari had pushed her towards the realization that the only thing that truly mattered was that they shared the same goal. They both wanted their friend to be safe and healthy once again. Even if Tai was a bit headstrong, she had to respect his desire to ensure Yamato's safety. The singer was lucky to have so many people who loved him.

"Really?" Yama stared into Taichi's deep brown eyes and felt relief wash over his soul as that little crooked grin spread across Taichi's face and the boy kissed his forehead.

"Trust me, Sport."

The kiss surprised Sora, but she had little time to react verbally since the rest of the small group decided that was exactly the moment to enter the room. Takato ran in ahead of his father and stepmother to be. In his tiny hands was a rather big teddy bear holding a fake balloon with the inscription 'Feel better bear-y soon!'. The small child climbed onto a nearby chair and leapt onto the bed.

"Oji's awake!" The boy cheered and knocked into Yama's leg accidently. Thanks to his nephews handy work, the young man suddenly became very aware of the fact his leg was indeed a painful spot. The man let out a whimper and scrunched his face into a rather unpleasant expression. Takato tilted his head unable to understand just how sore his uncle really was. His tiny fist knocked on the hard plaster waiting to see what kind of sound it would make. "What's that made of Oji? Is it like a rock or something?"

"Looks like you might need a few more ccs of the good pain killers bro." Takeru scooped the child off the bed before he could do any more accidental damage. "It's good to see you awake Yama."

Unsure of his voice's stability, Yamato nodded his head affirmatively and offered the small family a smile.

"We gots you a present!" Takato held out the stuffed bear and waited for Yamato to grab it with his good hand. "They didn't have any Digimon plushies, but daddy said you would like a bear."

Taichi took the item from Takato and placed it next to Yama in the bed. Although one of his hands had broken their embrace, he managed to keep the other one glued to the singer's good one. It felt as if years had passed between the last time Yama's warmth was so close to him and Tai was going to soak in every moment.

"Where did ya go Oji? You were gone for so long! And then you were asleep for a long, long, long, long, long, long, lon-"

"I think he understands it was a long time buddy." Takeru laughed and patted the kid's back gently. "Don't you remember what Kari and I told you? Oji wasn't feeling well so he had to sleep in order to get better. Just like you slept after catching that cold, remember?"

"Yeah," The child nodded his head quickly and pointed back to his uncle, "But I didn't get one of those thingies on my leg. It looks like a robot daddy. See the big grey thing on the white rock stuff?"

"Trust me." Yama cleared his throat and rested his head against the pillows. "You don't want one… I'm… I'm not even sure why I have one."

"They had to do some extra work because you had a compound fracture and an infection from being in the dirt and leaves for so long." Sora spoke up and tried to silently convince Yama to drink some more water from the plastic cup.

"You," He swallowed some of the cool liquid and felt the scratchiness of his throat lighten a bit, "know about bones?"

Taichi rolled his eyes and patted the boy's hand, "She is just good at listening to the doctor explain things every time she pesters him with the same questions."

"I wasn't the one who shook him down each time he walked through the lobby."

"Hey," Tai furrowed his brow and pointed a finger at her. "I only asked because we didn't know anything then. It wasn't my fault they would only let Tk and his parents in at first."

"M… my parents?"

"Yeah. They came in to watch Takato." Sora patted his shoulder then snapped back to Taichi. "Either way, the poor man looked pretty frazzled after you finished with him. I merely asked him to explain what was going on with Yama."

"Th…they saw each other?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. We already have a diagnosis so just forget it."

"They were… civil?"

"That is what I said in the beginning. Why are you so stubborn?"

The two stared each other down from opposite sides of Yamato's bed. Had it been an anime, Yama was sure little sparks would be flying between their eyes. Of course, real life seemed to always lack those little artistic details. Instead, he found himself glancing between the two faces and wondering what it must have been like for them when he was gone. If this was a preview of those days, it was amazing the two weren't black and blue.

"Stop this." A new voice entered the room and Yama found himself staring at a sight he hadn't seen in a few years. "I can hear you two arguing all the way down the hall. Yama needs quite to try and recuperate."

"Mom?" The boy rasped as his bedside companions looked away in slight embarrassment.

"Hi Yamato."

Natsuko Takaishi walked up to the boy and sat on the end of the bed. She was dressed nicely, but it was obvious from the wrinkles surrounding her lips and eyes that she had aged since their last encounter. Had he not been in such a state, Yama wasn't sure if the same emotions would have come over him. But sitting in the hospital bed, surrounded by his loved ones was bringing a bit of joy and guilt to him. It began to dawn on him that spending so many years avoiding his parents was possibly not his best idea. Maybe he should have tried a little harder to bridge that gap. Coming so close to losing everything he cared about in the world, just to be scooped off of death's doorstep was an eye-opening experience Yama could barely wrap his mind around.

"Hi son." Hiroaki Ishida entered the room holding what looked like another tray of coffee. "You have no idea how glad we are to see you awake."

"You've been asleep for so long." Natsuko patted his non-injured leg and offered her eldest son a kind smile. In the back of her mind she hoped that if this were some dream, she would never wake up. Her relationship with Yamato had never been perfect, but that was the past. When the cops had originally her alerted that her son was missing and considered in grave danger, something snapped inside of her. The kidnapping gave her the grave reminder that she did not have the luxury of ignoring the strained relationship with her son. She had her child back and she was not going to let any of her boys or grandchildren grow apart from her again. Yama was just going to have to deal with a more determined mother. Which surely would do him good, at least she believed it would.

"That's what I told him Gram Gram!" Takato chirped cheerfully from his father's arms.

"I bet you did Tak." Hiroaki ruffled the boy's hair playfully.

"He can come home now right? He can live with me and daddy again?"

"Maybe you should stay with your father and I?" The blonde brothers were struck silent as their mother offered to spend time with their father. "We can take some time off work and help you get back on your feet again."

"You two… together?" Tk blinked in surprise, but offered his parents a small smile. "That sounds nice. Like the old days."

"I don't need a sitter." Yama tried to break into the conversation but no one seemed to be listening to him anymore.

"Tk has a great deal of room at his house. Maybe you two could stay there once Yama is released from the Hospital? Then you could help with some of the wedding preparations and be near Yama."

"I have… a house."

"Wouldn't that be a lot of people in one house?" Tai joined in keeping his hand intertwined with Yama's but letting his ears block out the boy's protests. "I'm sure there are some other places he could stay while he recovers."

"Just gonna move to Alaska…" The boy sighed and sunk down into his bed as the group continued to debate each option like squawking hens.

A knock on the doorframe interrupted the large congregation's discussion and brought their attention to the head nurse on the floor. The woman smiled at the group and mentally tallied how many people had managed to worm their way into this suite. The boy had a big family, but he was a celebrity so crowds were not surprising. The hospital already had to work double time to keep the hundreds of fan girls out of the lobbies.

"I know that you are all very excited to see Ishida-san awake, but he needs his rest. You can come back tomorrow and visit with him. Though, maybe not all of you at one time."

"She has a point." The middle-aged woman rose from Yama's bed and walked between Tai and her son. She noted the boy's never broke their handhold and made a mental note to ask the brunette about that once they left the room. "I'll be back, son. I promise."

Hiroaki watched his wife take a sharp breath, then push her nerves aside as she wrapped her arms around Yamato's neck. Both mother and son seemed unaware of what to do in the quick hug, but the man was sure he spotted a small smile on both their faces. Even though his own relationship with Natsuko was strained, he had never meant to force the same strain on his children. This time together would do both mother and son good. As long as they didn't tear each other apart first.

"What are you laughing at dad?" Tk raised a curious eyebrow as his father ignored the question and ushered the rest of his family members towards the door.

Once the rest of the clan had offered their goodbyes and gotten a few hugs from the resident patient, Sora and Taichi met each other's gazes. Neither wanted to be the first to leave, but they also didn't want to say their goodbyes in front of the other. Sora reached out and pushed a few strands of hair behind Yama's ear. Silently the duo thanked their lucky star that Yama had not asked to see a mirror. His swollen face and body were probably not something the recovering patient needed to see at this moment in time. At least the painkillers seemed to be doing their job very well.

"Sora," Yama reached out and touched her arm with his gauze-covered hand. "Thanks for everything."

"You don't have to thank me." She placed his injured hand back on the bed and kissed his cheek gently. "I'd do anything for you. That's the joy of having a best friend."

"And family member." Yama offered her a genuine smile but noted a strange disappointment flash through her bright eyes.

"You should get some sleep Hun. I'll be back bright and early." She offered the boy a tighter then expected hug and gave Taichi a look Yama couldn't understand. What had happened to the two of them? She gave the brunette a sad smile and excused herself from the room rather quickly.

"What did I miss?"

"I'm not exactly sure." Tai scrunched his forehead as he tried to remember anything he might have said to set her into that mini funk. She didn't seem depressed, but there was obviously something troubling her. Had Sora realized there was something between him and Yamato? If that was it, why did she not say something or make a fuss? Either way Tai was going to have to deal with that later, or he knew it would bug that annoying little side of his personality that craved justice. For now, he was going to focus on spending time with the man he had been searching for.

"You scared me Yama." Tai sighed softly and sat on the chair beside Yamato's bed. "I didn't know if I would get to see you again."

"I know Tai." He disliked the fact that all of his friends and family had been forced to suffer, but in the depth of his soul he appreciated the fact someone had missed him as much as he had missed them.

"So I think it is only fair that we put a tracking device on you."

"Oh, hell no." The blonde chuckled then broke into a coughing fit.

"Just a suggestion." Tai's lopsided grin shown brightly, as he offered Yama his glass of water. "Anything I can get you? You deserve at least an ice cream cone, a trip to a theme park, or a nice dinner date with an attractive brunette…"

"I'd settle for a cigarette." Yama smirked at the frown Tai offered him.

"Beep! Ohhhh, I'm sorry that is not the right answer. Thank you for playing and we hope you love your parting gift."

"I get a gift?"

"One designed just for you, Sport." Tai's grin shifted slightly and he leaned in to capture Yama's lips in a deep kiss.

As the familiar warmth began to spread over Yamato's body he tilted his head and tried to deepen the kiss. He had never realized how addictive Taichi's mouth could be. Then again, he had only gotten a few chances to experience such a sensation. Which was the main reason he tried his hardest to hold back the dry coughs attempting to escape his lungs.

When Taichi pulled away from the kiss Yama tilted his head away from the brunette and let out a massive cough. Taichi patted the boy's back gently and tried to lighten the situation, "I never realized those were so powerful."

"Excuse me young man," The head nurse stuck her head back into the room and seemed to be in a slightly more talkative mood. "I believe there is something you should see. And afterwards, it is officially the end of visitation hours."

"Yes mam." Taichi held onto Yama's hand and watched as the nurse flipped on the television to one of the major news networks.

"This is Yuki Mata reporting live from the hospital housing the recently discovered Ishida Yamato. Millions of fans have been coming to pay their respects to one of their favorite celebrities by leaving various trinkets near the front of the main building." The newswoman gestured towards a rather large amount of flowers and gifts left in front of the hospital's main sign. Around the many gifts were multiple men and women of varying ages. Their positioning seemed a little too organized to be the average hospital visitors.

As if on cue, almost every member of the crowd lifted their left hands into the air to reveal that Yamato's initials were written on their palms. The boy's in the hospital room stared in shock as the group stood silently in front of the hospital. In the back of the crowd, Tai could see two members holding a sign that said something along the lines of 'Hurt but not broken, the soul will go on'.

"You inspired a whole country to gather with one of your song lyrics posted on a board and their hands coated with your name?"

"I didn't realize they cared that much." The boy mumbled, still in shock from the size of the support group. "It does make a pretty flashy ending though."

"No," Tai kissed the boy's lips and offered him that lovely smirk. "It makes a pretty flashy beginning."

* * *

**Well kids, this story is over. At least this section of the story is finished. We can't let Maro get out that easy and leave Sora in limbo. Not to mention there is always the question of what happened to Miyako. **** I promise the next section of Trouble Sings Backup will be coming to a fanfiction website near you soon lol. And hopefully it will have a better title this time. ;) Oh and, if there is anything you love or hate about the story please feel free to drop me a review or PM. Even if it is just a suggestion for something you want to see happen in the sequel. I love reading the notes you guys post. ^.^**


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